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“ i mustn’t let them know” 







A YANKEE GIRL 

AT 

FORT SUMTER 


BY 

Alice Turner Curtis 

AUTHOR OF 

The Little Maid’s Historical Series, etc. 



Illustrated by ISABEL W. CALEY 


THE PENN PUBLISHING 
COMPANY PHILADELPHIA 
1920 


/z!> 

C>? 

A 

S. 


COPYRIGHT 
1930 BY 
THE PENN 
PUBLISHING 
COMPANY 



A Yankee Girl at Fort Sumter 


OCT -2 1920 


©CU597614 


Introduction 


Sylvia Fulton, a little Boston girl, was stay- 
ing with her father and mother in the beautiful 
city of Charleston, South Carolina, just before 
the opening of the Civil War. She had become 
deeply attached to her new friends, and their 
chivalrous kindness toward the little northern 
girl, as well as Sylvia’s perilous adventure in 
Charleston Harbor, and the amusing efforts of 
the faithful negro girl to become like her young 
mistress, all tend to make this story one that 
every little girl will enjoy reading, and from 
which she will learn of far-off days and of the 
high ideals of southern honor and northern cour- 
age. 


3 



Contents 


I. 

Sylvia 



9 

II. 

A New Friend 



2 3 

III. 

Sylvia in Trouble 



34 

IV. 

An Unexpected Journey 



43 

V. 

Estralla and Elinor . 



53 

VI. 

Sylvia at the Plantation 



6i 

VII. 

Sylvia Sees a Ghost 



78 

VIII. 

A Twilight Tea-Party 



88 

IX. 

Troublesome Words 



99 

X. 

The Palmetto Flag 



108 

XI. 

Sylvia Carries a Message 



118 

XII. 

Estralla Helps 



129 

XIII. 

A Happy Afternoon 



*37 

XIV. 

Mr. Robert Waite 



146 

XV. 

“ Where Is Sylvia ? ” . 



158 

XVI. 

In Danger .... 



168 

XVII. 

A Christmas Present . 



1 77 

XVIII. 

Great News .... 



187 

XIX. 

Sylvia Makes a Promise 



i 95 

XX. 

“ Two Little Darky Girls ” 



205 

XXI. 

Fort Sumter Is Fired Upon . 



217 


5 




Illustrations 


44 1 Mustn’t Let Them Know” . . . Frontispiece 

PAGE 

44 You Don’t Mean I Kin Keep That? ” .26 

44 Rise and Salute This Flag! ” ... 109 

44 I Believe You Could Steer in the Dark ” .159 

44 It May Help to Save the Union ” . . . 218 


A Yankee Girl at Fort Sumter 


7 



r 


A Yankee Girl at Fort Sumter 


CHAPTER I 

SYLVIA 

“ Your name is in a song, isn’t it? ” said Grace 
Waite, as she and her new playmate, Sylvia 
Fulton, walked down the pleasant street on their 
way to school. 

“ Is it? Can you sing the song? ” questioned 
Sylvia eagerly, her blue eyes shining at what 
promised to be such a delightful discovery. 

Grace nodded smilingly. She was a year 
older than Sylvia, nearly eleven years old, and 
felt that it was quite proper that she should be 
able to explain to Sylvia more about her name 
than Sylvia knew herself. 

“ It is something about ‘ spelling,’ ” she ex- 
plained, and then sang, very softly: 

“ ‘Then to Sylvia let ns sing, 

That Sylvia is spelling. 

She excels each mortal thing, 

Upon the dull earth dwelling. ’ 

9 


10 


A YANKEE GIRL 


“ I suppose it means she was the best speller,’* 
Grace said soberly. 

“ I think it is a lovely song,” said Sylvia. 
“ I’ll tell my mother about it. I am so glad you 
told me, Grace.” 

Sylvia Fulton was ten years old, and had lived 
in Charleston, South Carolina, for the past year. 
Before that the Fultons had lived in Boston. 
Grace Waite lived in the house next to the one 
which Mr. Fulton had hired in the beautiful 
southern city, and the two little girls had become 
fast friends. They both attended Miss Patten’s 
school. Usually Grace’s black mammy, Esther, 
escorted them to and from Miss Patten’s, but on 
this morning in early October they were allowed 
to go by themselves. 

As they walked along they could look out 
across the blue harbor, and see sailing vessels 
and rowboats coming and going. In the dis- 
tance were the three forts whose historic names 
were known to every child in Charleston. 
Grace never failed to point them out to 
the little northern girl, and to repeat their 
names : 

“ Castle Pinckney,” she would say, pointing to 
the one nearest the city, and then to the long dark 


AT FORT SUMTER 11 

forts at the mouth of the harbor, “ Fort Sumter, 
and Fort Moultrie.” 

“ Don’t stop to tell me the names of those old 
forts this morning,” said Sylvia. “ I know just 
as much about them now as you do. We shall 
be late if we don’t hurry.” 

Miss Patten’s house stood in a big garden 
which ran nearly to the water’s edge. The 
schoolroom opened on each side to broad piazzas, 
and there was always the pleasant fragrance of 
flowers in the big airy room. Sylvia was sure 
that no one could be more beautiful than Miss 
Patten. “ She looks just like one of the ladies 
in your ‘ Godey’s Magazine,’ ” she had told her 
mother, on returning home from her first day at 
school. 

And with her pretty soft black curls, her rosy 
cheeks and pleasant voice, no one could imagine 
a more desirable teacher than Miss Rosalie Pat- 
ten. There were just twelve little girls in her 
school. There were never ten, or fourteen. Miss 
Patten would never engage to take more than 
twelve pupils ; and the twelve always came. Mrs. 
Waite, Grace’s mother, had told Mrs. Fulton 
that Sylvia was very fortunate to attend the 
school. 


12 


A YANKEE GIRL 

School had opened the previous week, and 
Sylvia had begun to feel quite at home with her 
new schoolmates. The winter before, Mrs. 
Fulton had taught her little daughter at home; 
so this was her first term at Miss Patten’s. 

Miss Patten always stood near the schoolroom 
door until all her pupils had arrived. As each 
girl entered the room she made a curtsey to the 
pretty teacher, and then said “ good-morning ” 
to the pupils who had already arrived, and took 
her seat. When the clock struck nine Miss 
Rosalie would take her place behind the desk on 
the platform at the further end of the room, and 
say a little prayer. Then the pupils were ready 
for their lessons. 

“ Isn’t Miss Rosalie lovely,” Sylvia whispered 
as she and Grace moved to their seats, “ and 
doesn’t she wear pretty clothes? ” 

Grace nodded. She had been to Miss Rosalie’s 
school for three years, and she wondered a little 
at Sylvia’s admiration for their teacher, although 
she too thought Miss Patten looked exactly like 
a fashion plate. 

Grace was eager to get to her desk. From 
where she sat she could see the grim lines of the 
distant forts; and this morning they had a new 


AT FORT SUMTER 


13 


value and interest for her; for at breakfast she 
had heard her father say that, although the forts 
were occupied by the soldiers of the United 
States Government, it was only justice that 
South Carolina should control them, and if the 
State seceded from the Union Charleston must 
take possession of the forts. With the consent 
of the United States Government if possible, but, 
if this was refused, by force. 

Grace had been thinking about this all the 
morning, wondering if Charleston men would 
really send off the soldiers in the forts. She had 
not spoken of this to Sylvia as they came along 
the street facing the harbor, and now as she 
looked at the distant forts on guard at the 
entrance of the harbor, she resolved to ask Miss 
Rosalie why the United States should interfere 
with the “ Sovereign State of South Carolina,” 
which her father had said would defend its rights. 
“ Question time ” was just before the morning 
session ended. Then each pupil could ask a 
question. But as a rule only one or two of the 
girls had any inquiry to make. To-day, how- 
ever, there were several who had questions to 
ask, and Grace waited with what patience she 
could until it was her turn. When Miss Rosalie 


U A YANKEE GIRL 

smiled at her and called her name, Grace rose 
and said: 

“ Please, Miss Rosalie, if Charleston owns the 
forts, could anyone take them away? ” 

The teacher’s dark eyes seemed to grow larger 
and brighter, and she straightened her slender 
shoulders as if preparing to defend the rights of 
her State. 

“ My dear girl, who would question the right 
of South Carolina to control all forts on her 
territory? We all realize that this is a time of 
uncertainty for our beloved State; we may be 
treated with harshness, with injustice, but every 
loyal Carolinian will protect his State.” 

The little girls looked at each other with 
startled eyes. What was Miss Rosalie talking 
about, they wondered, and what did Grace Waite 
mean about anybody “ taking ” Fort Sumter or 
Fort Moultrie? Of course nobod} 7 ' could do such 
a thing. 

School was dismissed with less ceremony than 
usual that morning, and the little girls started off 
in groups, talking and questioning each other 
about what Miss Rosalie had said. 

Two or three ran after Grace and Sylvia to 
ask Grace what she meant by her question. 


AT FORT SUMTER 15 

“ Of course we know that northern people 
want to take our slaves away from us,” declared 
Elinor Mayhew, the oldest girl in school, whose 
dark eyes and curling hair were greatly admired 
by auburn-haired, blue-eyed Sylvia, “ but of 
course they can’t do that. But how could they 
take our forts? ” 

“ I don’t know,” responded Grace. “ That’s 
why I asked Miss Rosalie. I guess I’ll have to 
ask my father.” 

“ We’ll all ask our fathers,” said Elinor, “ and 
to-morrow we will tell each other what they say. 
I don’t suppose your father would care if the 
forts were taken,” and she turned suddenly 
toward Sylvia. “ I suppose all the Yankees 
would like to tell us what we ought to do.” 

Sylvia looked at her in surprise. The tall girl 
had never taken any notice of the little Boston 
girl before, and Sylvia could not understand why 
Elinor should look at her so scornfully or speak 
so unkindly. The other girls had stopped talk- 
ing, and now looked at Sylvia as if wondering 
what she would say. 

“ I don’t know what you mean,” she answered 
bravely, “ but I know one thing: my father would 
want what was right.” 


16 


A YANKEE GIRL 


“ That’s real Yankee talk,” said Elinor. 
“ They say slavery isn’t right.” 

There was a little murmur of laughter among 
the other girls. For in 1860 the people of South 
Carolina believed they were quite right in buying 
negroes for slaves, and in selling them when they 
desired; so these little girls, some of whom al- 
ready “ owned ” a colored girl who waited upon 
them, had no idea but what slavery was a right 
and natural condition, and were amused at 
Elinor’s words. 

“ Why do you want to be so hateful, Elinor? ” 
demanded Grace, before Sylvia could reply. 
“ Sylvia has not said or done anything to make 
you talk to her this way,” and Grace linked her 
arm in Sylvia’s, and stood facing the other 
girls. 

“ Well, Grace Waite, you can associate with 
Yankees if you wish to. But my mother says 
that Miss Patten ought not to have Sylvia Fulton 
in her school. Come on, girls; Grace Waite 
can do as she pleases,” and Elinor, followed by 
two or three of the older girls, went scornfully 
down the street. 

“ Sylvia! Wait! ” and a little girl about Syl- 
via’s age came running down the path. It was 


AT FORT SUMTER 17 

Flora Hayes; and, next to Grace Waite, Sylvia 
liked her the best of any of her new companions. 

“ Don’t mind what Elinor Mayhew says. 
She’s always horrid when she dares to be,” said 
Flora. 

Flora’s father was a wealthy cotton planter, 
and their Charleston home was in one of the 
historic mansions of that city. Beside that there 
was the big old house on the Ashley River ten 
miles from the city, where the family stayed a 
part of the time. 

Flora’s eyes were as blue as Sylvia’s, and her 
hair was very much the same color. She was al- 
ways smiling and friendly, and was better liked 
than Elinor Mayhew, who, as Flora said, was 
always ready to tease the younger girls. 

“ I don’t know what she meant,” said Sylvia 
as, with Grace on one side and Flora on the other, 
they started toward home. 

“ She is just hateful,” declared Grace. “ I 
wish I had not asked Miss Rosalie about the forts. 
But I did want to know. It would be dreadful 
not to see them where they have always been.” 

“ Oh, Grace! You didn’t think they were go- 
ing to move the forts to Washington, did you? ” 
laughed Flora. “ I know better than that. 


18 


A YANKEE GIRL 


Taking the forts means that the Government of 
the United States would own them instead of 
South Carolina.” 

Grace laughed good-naturedly. She was al- 
ways as ready to laugh at her own mistakes as at 
those of others; and in the year that Sylvia had 
known her she had never seen Grace vexed or 
angry. 

Both Grace and Flora advised Sylvia not to 
tell her mother of Elinor’s unkindness, or of her 
taunting words. But it was rather difficult for 
Sylvia to keep a secret from her mother. 

“ You see, it will make your mother sorry, and 
she will fret about it,” Flora had said; and at 
this Sylvia had decided that no matter what hap- 
pened at school she would not tell her mother 
about it. She almost dreaded seeing Elinor 
again, and wondered why Elinor’s mother had 
not wanted Miss Patten to take her as a pupil. 

Mr. and Mrs. Fulton were surprised when at 
supper time Sylvia demanded to know what a 
“ Yankee ” was. She thought her mother looked 
a little troubled. But her father smiled. 
“ Yankee is what Britishers call all Americans,” 
he answered. 

“ Then Elinor Mayhew is just as much a 


AT FORT SUMTER 


19 


Yankee as I am,” thought Sylvia, and she smiled 
so radiantly at the thought that Mrs. Fulton was 
reassured, and did not question her. 

The next day was Saturday, and Mr. Fulton 
had planned to take his wife and Sylvia to 
Fort Moultrie. The military band of the fort 
played every afternoon, and the parapet of the 
fort was a daily promenade for many Charleston 
people. During the summer workmen had been 
making necessary repairs on the fortifications; 
but visitors were always welcomed by the officers 
in charge, one of whom, Captain Carleton, was a 
college friend of Sylvia's father. 

Sylvia could row a small boat very well, and 
her father had purchased a pretty sailboat which 
he was teaching her to steer. She often went 
with her father on trips about the harbor, and the 
little girl always thought that these excursions 
were the most delightful of pleasures. 

There was a favorable breeze this Saturday 
afternoon, and the little boat, with its shining 
white paint and snowy sail, skimmed swiftly 
across the harbor. Sylvia watched the little 
waves which seemed to dance forward to meet 
them, looked at the many boats and vessels, and 
quite forgot Elinor Mayhew’s unkindness. 


20 


A YANKEE GIRL 

Her mother and father were talking of the 
black servants, whom they had hired with the 
house of Mr. Robert Waite, Grace’s uncle. Syl- 
via heard them speak of Aunt Connie, the good- 
natured black cook, who lived in a cabin behind 
the Fultons’ kitchen. 

“Aunt Connie wants to bring her little girl to 
live with her. Their master is willing, if we have 
no objections,” Sylvia heard her mother say. 

“ Oh, let the child come,” Mr. Fulton re- 
sponded; “ how old is she? ” 

“ Just Sylvia’s age. Her name is Estralla,” 
replied Mrs. Fulton. 

“ You’ll have a little darky for a playmate, 
Sylvia. How will you like that?” her father 
asked. But before Sylvia could answer, the boat 
swung alongside the landing-place at the fort and 
she saw her father’s friend, Captain Carleton, 
waiting to welcome them. 

The band was playing, and a few people were 
on the parapet. 

“ Not many visitors to-day,” said the Captain, 
as they all walked on together. “ I am afraid 
the Charleston people resent the fact that the 
United States is protecting its property.” 

As they walked along the Captain pointed to 


AT FORT SUMTER 


21 


the sand which the wind had blown into heaps 
about the sea-front of the old fort. “A child of 
ten could easily come into the fort over those 
sand-banks/’ he said. 

‘‘Whose fort is this?” asked Sylvia, so ear- 
nestly that both the Captain and her father 
smiled. 

“ It belongs to the United States, of which 
South Carolina is one,” replied the Captain. 

Sylvia gave a little sigh of satisfaction. Even 
Elinor Mayhew could not find any fault with 
that, she thought, and she was eager to get home 
and tell Grace what the Captain had said. 

On the way back Sylvia asked her mother if 
she knew that there was a song with her name 
in it. 

“ Why, of course, dear child. You were 
named for that very Sylvia,” replied her mother. 

“ ‘Then to Sylvia let us sing, 

That Sylvia is excelling ; 

She excels each mortal thing 
Upon the dull earth dwelling; 

To her let us garlands bring’ ” — 

sang Mrs. Fulton; “and you can thank your 
father for choosing your name,” she added gaily. 


22 


A YANKEE GIRL 


“ Oh ! But Grace said it was about spelling,” 
explained Sylvia; “but I like your way best,” 
she added quickly. 

There were a good many pleasant things for 
Sylvia to think of that night. Not every girl 
could be named out of a song, she reflected. 
Then there was the little colored girl Estralla, 
who was to arrive the next day, and besides these 
interesting facts, she had discovered who really 
owned the forts, and could tell her schoolmates 
on Monday. All these pleasant happenings 
made Sylvia forgetful of Elinor Mayhew’s un- 
kindness. Before bedtime she had learned the 
words of the song from which she was named. 
She knew Grace would think that “ excelling ” 
was much better than “ spelling.” 


CHAPTER II 

A NEW FRIEND 

The next morning Sylvia was awakened by a 
tapping on her chamber door. Usually Jennie, 
the colored girl who helped Aunt Connie in the 
work of the house, would come into the room 
before Sylvia was awake with a big pitcher of 
hot water, and Sylvia would open her eyes to see 
Jennie unfastening the shutters and spreading 
out the fresh clothes. So this morning she won- 
dered what the tapping meant, and called out: 
“ Come in.” 

The door opened very slowly and a little negro 
girl, with a round woolly head and big startled 
eyes, stood peering in. She was barefooted, and 
wore a straight garment of faded blue cotton. 

For a moment the two children stared at each 
other. Then Sylvia remembered that Aunt 
Connie’s little girl was coming to live with her 
mother. 


23 


24 


A YANKEE GIRL 


“Are you Estralla? ” she asked eagerly, sitting 
up in bed. 

“ Yas, Missy,” replied the little darky, lifting 
the big pitcher of water and bringing it into the 
room, where she stood holding it as if not know- 
ing what to do next. 

“ Set the pitcher down,” said Sylvia. 

“ Yas, Missy,” said Estralla, her big eyes fixed 
on the little white girl in the pretty bed who was 
smiling at her in so friendly a fashion. She took 
a step or two forward, her eyes still fixed on 
Sylvia, and not noticing the little footstool di- 
rectly in front of her, over which she stumbled 
with a loud crash, breaking the pitcher and send- 
ing the hot water over her bare feet. 

“Oh, Mammy! Mammy! Mammy!” she 
screamed, lying face downward on the floor with 
the overturned footstool and broken pitcher, 
while the steaming water soaked through the 
cotton dress. 

In a moment Sylvia was out of bed. 

“ Get up, Estralla,” she commanded, “ and 
stop screaming.” 

The little darky’s wails ceased, and she looked 
up at the slender white figure standing in front 
of her. 


AT FORT SUMTER 


25 


“ I kyan’t git up; I’se all scalded and cut,” she 
sobbed, “ an’ if I does get up I’se gwine to get 
whipped for breaking the pitcher,” and at the 
thought of new trouble in store for her, she be- 
gan to scream again. 

“ Get up this minute,” said Sylvia. “ I don’t 
believe the water was hot enough to scald you ; it 
never is really hot. Here, help me sop it up,” 
and grabbing her bath towel Sylvia began to mop 
up the little stream of water which was trickling 
across the floor. 

Estralla managed to get to her feet. She was 
still holding fast to the handle of the broken 
pitcher. The front of her cotton dress was 
soaked, but she was not hurt. 

“ I’ll get whipped, yas’m, I will, fer breaking 
the pitcher.” 

“You won’t!” declared Sylvia, half angrily. 
“ It’s my mother’s pitcher, and I’ll tell her you 
didn’t mean to break it. Now you go and put 
on another dress, and tell Jennie to come up here 
and wipe up this floor.” 

“ I ain’t got no other dress ; an’ if I goes an’ 
tells I’ll get whipped,” persisted the child. 

Sylvia began to wonder what she could do. 
She thought Estralla was stupid and clumsy to 


26 A YANKEE GIRL 

fall down and break the pitcher, and now she 
thought her silly to be so frightened. 

“ I tells you, Missy, I su’ly will be whipped,” 
she repeated so earnestly that Sylvia began to be- 
lieve it. “An’ when my mammy sees my dress 

all wet ” and Estralla began to sob, but so 

quietly that Sylvia realized the little darky was 
really frightened and unhappy. 

“ Don’t cry, Estralla,” she said more gently, 
patting her on the shoulder. “ I’ll tell you 
what to do. You are just about my size, and 
I’ll give you one of my dresses. It’s pink, and 
it’s faded a little, but it’s pretty. And you take 
this towel and wipe up the floor as well as you 
can. Then you slip off your dress and put on 
mine.” While Sylvia talked Estralla stopped 
crying and began to look a little more cheerful. 

Sylvia ran to the closet and was back in a mo- 
ment with a pink checked gingham. It had a 
number of tiny ruffles on the skirt, and a little 
frill of lace around the neck. 

“Landy! You don’t mean I kin keep that, 
Missy? ” exclaimed Estralla, her face radiant at 
the very thought. 

“ Yes, quick. Somebody may come. Slip off 
your dress.” 




YOU don't MEAN I KIN KEEP THAT 






































• 





.. 



• 

































































' 













, 


























AT FORT SUMTER 


27 


In a moment the old blue frock lay in a little 
heap on the floor, and Sylvia had slipped the pink 
dress over Estralla’s head, and was fastening it. 
The little darky chuckled and laughed now as if 
she had not a trouble in the world. 

“ Listen, Estralla ! Here, pick up every bit 
of the pitcher and put the pieces on the chair. 
Nobody shall know that you broke it. And now 
you take this wet towel and your dress and 
spread them somewhere outdoors to dry. You 
can tell your mammy I gave you the dress. 
Now, run quick. My mother may come.” 

Estralla stood quite still looking at Sylvia. 
She had stopped laughing. 

“ Will you’ mammy scold you ’bout dat 
pitcher? ” she asked. 

“ I don’t know. Anyway, nobody shall know 
that you broke it. You won’t be whipped. Run 
along,” urged Sylvia. 

But Estralla did not move. “ I don’t keer if 
I is whipped,” she announced. “ I guess, mebbe, 
my mammy won’t whip hard.” 

“ Sylvia, Sylvia,” sounded her mother’s voice, 
and both the little girls looked at each other with 
startled eyes. 

“ Run,” said Sylvia, giving Estralla a little 


28 


A YANKEE GIRL 

push. “Run out on the balcony.” Estralla 
did not question the command, and in a moment, 
carrying dress and towel, she had vanished 
through the open window. 

“Why, child! What has happened?” ex- 
claimed Mrs. Fulton, coming into the room and 
looking at the overturned footstool, the pieces of 
the broken pitcher, and at Sylvia standing in the 
middle of the floor with an anxious, half-f light- 
ened expression. 

“ Don’t look so frightened, dear child. A 
broken pitcher isn’t worth it,” said Mrs. Fulton 
smilingly. “ It’s only hot water, and won’t 
hurt anything. Only Father is waiting for 
breakfast, so use cold water this morning. Here 
is your blue muslin — I’ll tie your sash when you 
come down,” and giving Sylvia a kiss her mother 
hurried away. 

“ My landy! ” whispered Estralla, peering in 
from the balcony window. “Your mammy’s a 
angel. An’ so is you, Missy. I was gwine tell 
her the trufe if she’d scolded, I su’ly was. 
Landy! I’d a sight ruther be whipped than 
have you scolded, Missy.” 

Sylvia looked at her in astonishment. Es- 
tralla, with round serious eyes, stood gazing at 


AT FORT SUMTER 


29 


her as if she was ready to do anything that Syl- 
via could possibly ask. 

“ Run. It’s all right,” said Sylvia with a 
little smile, and Estralla, with a backward look 
over her shoulder, went slowly out of the room. 

“ I’m gwine to recollect this jes’ as long as I 
live,” Estralla whispered as she made her way 
back to the kitchen. “ Nobuddy ever cared if I 
was whipped before, or if I wasn’t whipped. 
An’ I’ll do somethin’ fer Missy sometime, I will. 
An’ she give me dis fine dress too.” She bent 
over and smoothed out one of the little ruffles, 
and chuckled happily. 

Her mammy was busy preparing breakfast 
when Estralla slid quietly into the kitchen. 
When she did look around and saw the child 
wearing the pink dress she nearly dropped the 
dish of hot bacon which Jennie was waiting to 
take to the dining-room. 

“ Wha’ on earth did you get you’ pink dress? 
Did Missy give it to you? Well, you step out 
to the cabin and take it off. This minute! Put 
you’ blue frock right on. Like as not her mammy 
won’t let you keep it,” and Aunt Connie hurried 
Jennie off to the dining-room with the breakfast 
tray. 


30 


A YANKEE GIRL 


Estralla did not know what to do. Her blue 
dress was hung over a syringa bush behind the 
cabin. And at the dreadful thought that Mrs. 
Fulton might take away the pink dress she began 
to cry. 

“ Missy Sylvia said ’twas faded. She said to 
put it on,” whimpered Estralla. 

Aunt Connie began to be more hopeful. If 
the dress was faded — and she turned and looked 
at it more closely. 

“ Well, honey, ’tis faded. An’ I guess Missy 
Sylvia’s mammy won’ take it back. An’ it’s the 
Sabbath day, so you jes’ wear it,” she said, pat- 
ting the little woolly head. “ Mammy’s glad to 
have you dressed up; but you be mighty keerful.” 

“ Yas, Mammy. I jes’ love Missy Sylvia,” 
replied the little girl, now all smiles, and for- 
getting how nearly she had come to serious 
trouble. 

Nothing more was said to Sylvia about the 
broken pitcher; but when Jennie put the room in 
order, and brought down the broken pieces, 
Aunt Connie exclaimed: “ Good massy! It’s a 
good thing my Estralla didn’t do that! I’d ’a’ 
cuffed her well, I su’ly would.” 

Sylvia did not think to tell her mother about 


AT FORT SUMTER 


31 


the gift of the pink dress to Estralla. She did 
not feel quite happy that she had not explained 
the broken pitcher to her mother; but she had 
promised Estralla that she would not tell, and 
Sylvia knew that a promise was a very serious 
thing, something not to be easily forgotten. 

She did not see Estralla again that day, and 
Jennie brought the hot water as usual the next 
morning. 

Grace and Mammy Esther called for Sylvia 
on Monday morning, and Sylvia at once told her 
friend that she had been named from the song. 
This seemed very wonderful to Grace, and she 
listened to Sylvia’s explanation of “ excelling ” 
instead of “ spelling,” and said she didn’t think 
it was of any consequence. 

But when Sylvia told her what Captain 
Carleton had said about the forts, Grace shook 
her head and looked very serious. 

“ Don’t tell Elinor Mayhew, Sylvia. Because 
really South Carolina does own the forts. My 
father said so. He said that South Carolina was 
a Sovereign State,” she concluded. 

“ What’s that? What’s a ‘sovereign’?” 
questioned Sylvia. 

Grace shook her head. It had sounded like a 


32 


A YANKEE GIRL 


very fine thing when her father had spoken it, 
so she had repeated it with great pride. 

“ We can ask Miss Rosalie,” she suggested. 

Mammy Esther left the girls at the gate of 
Miss Patten’s garden. As they went up the 
path Flora Hayes came to meet them. 

“ I was waiting for you,” she said. * I want 
to ask you both to come out to our plantation 
next Saturday and spend Sunday. My mother 
is going to write and ask your mothers if they 
will give me the pleasure of your company.” 

“ I am sure I can come,” declared Grace, “ and 
I think it’s lovely of you to ask me.” 

“ You’ll come, won’t you, Sylvia? ” said Flora, 
putting her arm over the little girl’s shoulders as 
they went up the steps. 

“ Yes, indeed; thank you very much for ask- 
ing me,” replied Sylvia. She had visited the 
Hayes plantation early in the summer, and 
thought it a more wonderful place even than the 
big mansion on Tradd Street where the Hayes 
family lived in the winter months. Mr. Hayes 
owned hundreds of negroes, and raised a great 
quantity of cotton. The house at the plantation 
was large, with many balconies, and cool, pleas- 
ant rooms. Flora had a pair of white ponies. 


AT FORT SUMTER 


33 


and there were pigeons, and a number of dogs. 
Sylvia was sure that it would be a beautiful visit, 
especially as Grace would be there. 

As she went smilingly toward her seat in the 
schoolroom she passed Elinor Mayhew, who was 
already seated. 

“ Yankee! ” whispered Elinor sharply, looking 
at her with scornful eyes. 

But Sylvia, remembering that her father had 
said that all Americans were Yankees, nodded 
to the older girl and responded: “ Yankee your- 
self! ” 


CHAPTER III 


SYLVIA IN TROUBLE 

The Hayes plantation was about ten miles 
distant from Charleston, on the opposite side of 
the Ashley River. Flora told Sylvia and Grace 
that the Hayes coachman would drive them out, 
and that they would start early on Saturday 
morning. Sylvia, remembering her former visit, 
knew well how delightful the drive would be, and 
thinking of the pleasure in store quite forgot to 
be troubled by Elinor Mayhew’s hostility. 

At recess the girls usually walked about in the 
garden, or tossed a ball back and forth. Miss 
Rosalie would sit on the broad piazza overlook- 
ing the garden, her fingers busy with some piece 
of delicate embroidery. 

To-day, as they filed out and down the steps, 
Elinor whispered to several of her companions. 
And suddenly Sylvia realized that she was stand- 
ing alone. Grace Waite had lingered to speak 
to Miss Rosalie; Flora had been excused just 
34 


AT FORT SUMTER 35 

before recess, as her black mammy had arrived 
with a note from Mrs. Hayes. The other girls 
were gathered in a little group about Elinor, 
who was evidently telling them something of 
great interest. Sylvia walked slowly along to- 
ward a little summer-house where Miss Patten 
sometimes had little tea-parties. She hoped 
Grace would not stay long with Miss Patten. 
The other girls were between Sylvia and the 
arbor, and none of them moved to let her pass; 
nor did any of them speak to her, as she paused 
with a word of greeting. 

“ Now, girls,” she heard Elinor say; and the 
others, half under their breath, but only too dis- 
tinctly for Sylvia, called out: “ Yankee, 
Yankee!” Then like a flock of bright-colored 
birds they ran swiftly into the summer-house. 

For a moment Sylvia stood quite still. She 
realized that Elinor meant to be hateful; but 
she remembered that her father had said that all 
Americans were called “ Yankees,” and she was 
not a coward. She went straight on to the arbor. 
Elinor Mayhew stood on the steps. 

“You are just as much a Yankee as I am. 
And you ought to be proud of it,” declared Syl- 
via, facing the older girl. 


36 


A YANKEE GIRL 


“ Hear that, girls! ” called Elinor to the group 
about her. There was a little angry murmur 
from the others. 

“ Don’t you dare say that again, Miss Boston,” 
called May Bailey, who stood next to Elinor. 

Sylvia was now thoroughly angry. She knew 
of no reason why these girls should treat her in 
so unkind a fashion. She felt very desolate and 
unhappy, but she faced them bravely. 

“Yankees! Yankees! It’s what all Amer- 
icans are,” she declared defiantly. 

In an instant the little girls were all about her. 
Elinor Mayhew was holding her hands, and the 
others were pushing her along the path to the 
shore. The thick growing shrubs hid them from 
the house. Sylvia did not cry out or speak. 
She was not at all afraid, nor did she resist. 

“ We ought to make her take it back,” said 
May Bailey, as Elinor stopped, and they all 
stood in a close group about Sylvia. 

“ Of course she’s got to take it back, and apolo- 
gize on her knees,” declared Elinor. “ She might 
as well learn that South Carolinians will not be 
insulted,” and Elinor lifted her head proudly. 

“ I won’t take it back! ” retorted Sylvia, “ and 
you are the ones who will have to apologize. 


AT FORT SUMTER 


37 


Yes, every one of you, before I will ever speak 
to you again.” 

“Hear that, girls! Wouldn’t it be dread- 
ful if she never spoke to us again!” sneered 
Elinor. 

“ She means she will tell Miss Rosalie,” said 
one of the girls. 

“ I don’t, either. I can look after my own af- 
fairs,” retorted Sylvia bravely. “ I’m not a tell- 
tale. Although I suppose girls who act the way 
you do would tell.” 

“ Get down on your knees,” commanded 
Elinor, trying to push the little girl. 

“ There’s the bell,” and they all turned and 
scampered back to the house, leaving Sylvia on 
the path; for Elinor had let go of her so suddenly 
that she had fallen forward. 

Her knees were hurt, and one of her hands was 
bruised by the fall. For a moment she lay 
sobbing quietly. She was angry and miserable. 
She had been brave enough when the girls had 
seemed to threaten her, but now her courage was 
gone. She could not go back to the schoolroom 
and face all those enemies. If Miss Rosalie came 
in search of her she might not be able to resist 
telling her what had happened; and, miserable 


38 


A YANKEE GIRL 

and unhappy as she was, Sylvia resolved that she 
would never tell. 

“ But Elinor Mayhew and all the rest of them 
shall be sorry for this. Yes, they shall,” she 
sobbed as she got to her feet and turned toward 
the shore. She knew she must either go straight 
back to the schoolroom or else find a hiding-place 
until they had ceased to search for her. There 
was a wall at the foot of the garden, covered with 
fragrant jessamine and myrtle. If she could 
only get over that wall, thought Sylvia, she 
would be safe. She ran swiftly forward and be- 
gan to scramble up, grasping the sturdy vines, 
and finding a foothold on some bit of rough brick. 
She reached the top just as she heard Miss 
Rosalie’s servant calling her name. 

Sylvia looked down to the further side. The 
vines drooped over and below the wall a high 
bank of sand sloped to the shore. Holding tight 
to the vines she slid down, hitting her bruised 
knees against the rough surface. The vines cut 
her hands, and when she tumbled into the sand 
her dress was torn and soiled, her pretty hair- 
ribbon was gone, and her once white stockings 
were grimy. Beside these misfortunes her hands 
were bleeding. 


39 


AT FORT SUMTER 

Never in all her life had Sylvia been so 
wretched. She sat quite still in the warm sand, 
and wondered what she could do. If she went 
home her mother would insist upon an explana- 
tion of her untidy condition. Beside that Syl- 
via was not sure if she could find her way home 
unless she climbed back into the garden. She 
looked along the shore at the landing-place not 
far distant where several boats were bobbing up 
and down in the wash of the incoming tide. She 
could see boats coming and going between the 
forts and the city. She could see grim Fort 
Sumter, with its guns that seemed to look straight 
at her. She watched a schooner coming across 
the bay, and realized that it was coming to that 
very wharf. A number of men landed, and sev- 
eral carts came down and boxes were unloaded, 
and negroes carried them to the schooner. 

Sylvia got up and walked along the shore until 
she was near the wharf, and stood watching the 
negroes as they lifted the heavy boxes. She 
wished she could ask one of them to tell her the 
way home. Then she noticed a tall figure in uni- 
form coming up the wharf. 

“ It’s Captain Carleton!” she exclaimed joy- 
fully, quite forgetting for the moment her torn 


40 A YANKEE GIRL 

dress and scratched hands as she ran toward 
him. 

“ Why! Is it Sylvia Fulton? ” exclaimed the 
surprised Captain, looking down at the untidy 
little figure. “ Why, what has happened? ” 

“ Oh, dear,” sobbed Sylvia, “ I guess I’m 
lost.” 

“Well, well! It’s lucky you came down to 
this wharf. Come on board the schooner, and 
we’ll see to these little hands first thing,” and the 
good-natured Captain rested a kindly hand on 
the little girl’s shoulder and walked down the 
wharf. Sylvia heard the men talking of the 
Charleston Arsenal, and of the boxes of arms 
which were to be taken on the schooner to Fort 
Sumter. 

The Captain bathed the little hurt hands and 
flushed face, talking pleasantly to the little girl 
about the schooner, and asking her if she did not 
think it a much finer craft than her father’s small 
boat; so in a little while she was comforted and 
quite at home. 

“ Now, sit here by the cabin window, and I 
will come back and take you home as soon as I 
settle this trouble about my supplies,” and the 
Captain hurried back to the wharf. 


AT FORT SUMTER 


41 


Sylvia sat quite still and looked out of the 
round port-hole. She felt very tired, and leaned 
her head against the cushioned wall. She could 
hear the monotonous chant of the negroes, and 
feel the swaying motion of the vessel, and soon 
was fast asleep. She did not know when the 
schooner was towed out into the channel, nor 
when the sails were hoisted and they went sailing 
down the bay. 

For Captain Carleton had entirely forgotten 
his little guest. When he hurried back to the 
wharf he discovered a little group of Charleston 
citizens, one of whom was Elinor Mayhew’s 
father, disputing the right of the United States 
officers to take guns from the Charleston Arsenal 
to Fort Sumter; and when the matter was settled 
he had hurried the departure of the vessel. Not 
until they were ready to land at the fort did he 
remember his little friend. He went down to 
the cabin, and found Sylvia fast asleep. 

“ Poor little Yankee! I wonder what will 
happen to her if South Carolina really leaves the 
Union,” he thought, and then his face grew 
troubled as he remembered that Mr. and Mrs. 
Fulton must be in great trouble and anxiety over 
the disappearance of their little daughter. But 


42 


A YANKEE GIRL 


first of all he must see the schooner’s cargo safely 
unloaded at Fort Sumter, and send his men back 
to Fort Moultrie; then he would take Sylvia 
home, or find some way to notify her parents that 
she was safe and well cared for. 


CHAPTER IV 


AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY 

When Sylvia did not come in with the other 
girls Miss Patten sent a maid in search of her. 
But she did not search very carefully. She 
called Sylvia’s name a few times, sauntered about 
the garden, and then reported: “ Can’t find 
Missy Sylvia.” 

She was then told to go straight to Mrs. 
Fulton’s house on the East Battery and see if 
Miss Sylvia had reached home. Miss Patten did 
not feel anxious. She thought it probable that 
the little northern girl did not realize the rules 
of the school, had become tired, and so started 
for home. 

“ Did Miss Sylvia say anything to any of you 
young ladies about leaving the grounds?” she 
questioned the pupils. But they all declared that 
they knew nothing of her whereabouts. 

“ She was on the path behind us when the bell 
rang,” volunteered May Bailey. 

43 


44 


A YANKEE GIRL 


Elinor’s face was unusually flushed, and she 
kept her eyes on her book. Probably the “ little 
Yankee,” as she called Sylvia even in her 
thoughts, had run home to tell her mother of the 
trouble. 

By the time Miss Patten’s messenger had 
reached the Fulton house Sylvia was in the cabin 
of the little schooner. The girl gave her message 
to Mrs. Fulton in so indefinite a manner that at 
first Sylvia’s mother hardly understood whether 
Sylvia was in the garden of the school, or had 
started for home. Estralla was standing near 
the steps and began whimpering: “ Oh, Missy 
Sylvia los’! That w’at she say. She lost! ” 

“Nonsense, Estralla! Sylvia could not be 
lost in Miss Patten’s garden,” said Mrfc. Fulton; 
but she decided to return to the school with the 
maid. 

As they went down the street Estralla fol- 
lowed close behind. Her bare feet made no 
noise, but now and then she choked back a 
despairing little wail. For the little colored girl 
was sure that some harm had befallen her new 
friend. 

When Mrs. Fulton appeared at the school- 
room door Miss Patten was greatly alarmed. 


AT FORT SUMTER 


45 


Elinor Mayhew and May Bailey exchanged a 
look of surprised apprehension. They felt sure 
that Sylvia had hurried home and told her mother 
just what had happened. If she had, and Mrs. 
Fulton had come to inform Miss Patten, they 
knew there would be unpleasant things in store 
for them. 

In a short time a thorough search for the lost 
girl was in progress. Servants were sent along 
the streets, and Mrs. Fulton hastened home 
thinking it possible that Sylvia might be in her 
own room. 

No one paid any attention to the little colored 
girl in the faded blue cotton gown who wandered 
about the paths and around the summer-house. 
Estralla noticed two of the older girls talking 
together, and heard the taller one say: “ Well, 
wherever she is, she needn’t think we will ever 
take back one word. She is a Yankee! ” 

“ They’se done somethin’ to my missy,” de- 
cided Estralla. “ They’se scairt her.” She ran 
down the path toward the wall at the end of the 
garden, and stopped suddenly; for right in front 
of her, caught on the jessamine vine which grew 
over the wall, she saw a fluttering blue ribbon. 
“ Dat’s off’n Missy Sylvia’s hair, dat ribbon is,” 


46 


A YANKEE GIEL 


she whispered, reaching up for it. Holding it 
fast in her hands she looked closely at the mass of 
heavy vines, and nodded her little woolly head. 
“ Dat’s w’at she done. She dumb right up here, 
to git away frum those imps o’ Satan w’at was a 
plaguein’ her,” decided Estralla, and in an in- 
stant she was going up the wall in a much easier 
manner than had been possible for Sylvia. She 
dropped on the further side, just as Sylvia had 
done, and traced Sylvia’s steps to near the land- 
ing-place. Then she stopped short. Hen were 
loading boxes on a schooner at the end of the pier, 
and she could see a tall officer in uniform stand- 
ing on the deck of the vessel. 

“ Hullo, here’s another small girl. Black one 
this time,” said one of the white sailors. 

“ Yas, Massa! Please whar’ is my missy?” 
replied the little darky eagerly. 

“ Safe in the cabin,” nodded the good-natured 
man. 

Estralla slipped behind a pile of boxes, and 
watched for a chance to get on board the vessel 
without being seen. She had heard many tales, 
told by the older colored people, of little children, 
yes, and grown people, too, who had been enticed 
on board vessels in far-off African ports, and car- 


AT FORT SUMTER 


47 


ried off to be sold into slavery. Estralla re- 
membered that all those people in the stories 
were black ; but who could tell but what 
there was some place in the world where white 
people were sold? Anyway, she resolved that 
wherever Missy Sylvia went she would go with 
her. 

In a few moments she saw a chance to run over 
the gangplank. She went straight toward the 
cabin door and peered in. Yes, there was Missy 
Sylvia on the broad cushioned seat under the 
window. Very softly Estralla tiptoed across the 
cabin. Just as she was about to speak Sylvia’s 
name the sound of approaching footsteps startled 
her, and, sure that she would be sent on shore by 
whoever might discover her, she looked about for 
a hiding-place, and the next instant she was 
curled up under the very seat on which Sylvia 
was asleep. 

It was not long before Estralla followed her 
missy’s example. But she was wide awake when 
Captain Carleton came into the cabin. 

As soon as he returned to the deck Estralla 
crawled out from her hiding-place and looked 
about her. 

“Wake up, Missy,” she whispered leaning over 


48 


A YANKEE GIRL 


Sylvia; and Sylvia sat up quickly, with a little 
cry of astonishment. 

“ Don’t you be sheered,” said Estralla softly, 
“ ’cause I ain’ gwine to let you be carried off. I 
knows jes’ how slaves are ketched. Yas’m, I 
does. My mammy tole me. They gits folks in 
ships and carries ’em off an’ sells ’em to folks. 
An’ I ain’ gwine to let ’em have you, Missy.” 
There were tears in Estralla’s eyes. She knew 
that her own brother had been sold the previous 
year and taken to a plantation in Florida. She 
had heard her mother say that she, Estralla, 
might be sold any time. She knew that slavery 
was a dreadful thing. 

“ Where are they taking us? ” questioned Syl- 
via, for she realized that the vessel was moving 
swiftly through the water. She wondered why 
Captain Carleton had gone away. Seeing Es- 
tralla there gave her a dreadful certainty that 
what the little darky said might be true. Per- 
haps the vessel might have others on board who 
were being taken off to be sold, as Estralla de- 
clared. 

“ Yas, Missy. My mammy’s tole me jes’ how 
white folks gets black folks fer slaves. Takes 
’em away from their mammies, an’ never lets ’em 


AT FORT SUMTER 


49 


go back. Yas! ” And Estralla’s big eyes grew 
round with terror. 

“ But I am a white girl, Estralla,” said Sylvia. 

Estralla shook her head dolefully. 

“ Yas, Missy. But I’se gwine to git you safe 
home. You do jes’ as I tell you an’ you’ll be 
safe back with your mammy by ter-morrow ! ” 
she declared. 

“You lay down and keep your eyes tight shut 
till I comes back,” she added, and Sylvia, tired 
and frightened, obeyed. 

The schooner was now coming to her landing 
at Fort Sumter. Estralla managed to get on 
deck without being noticed. She did not know 
where they were, but wherever it was she resolved 
to get Sylvia out of the vessel, and ran back to the 
cabin. 

“ Now, don’ you speak to nobuddy. J es’ keep 
right close to me,” she whispered. And Sylvia 
obeyed. The two little girls crept up the cabin 
stairs, and crouching close to the side of the cabin 
made their way toward the stern of the vessel. 

The crew and the soldiers and Captain Carle- 
ton were now all toward the bow. A small boat 
swung at the stern of the schooner. 

“ Now, Missy, we’s got to git ourselves into 


50 


A YANKEE GIRL 


that boat and row back home*” whispered Es- 
tralla, grasping the rope. 

At that moment Sylvia turned to look back. 
She could see a tall officer on the forward deck, 
and without an instant’s hesitation she ran to- 
ward him calling: 

“ Captain Carleton! Captain Carleton! ” He 
turned smilingly toward her, and Sylvia clasped 
his hand. 

“ I didn’t know where I was,” she said. 

“ You are at Fort Sumter. And it’s all my 
fault,” he answered. “ I forgot all about you 
until we were nearly here. But one of my men 
is going to sail you safely home. What’s this? ” 
he added, as Estralla appeared by Sylvia’s side. 

“ It’s Estralla. Her mammy is our cook,” 
said Sylvia. 

The Captain looked a little puzzled. He won- 
dered how the little darky had got on board the 
vessel without being seen. 

“ Well, she will be company for you. And 
you must ask your father and mother to forgive 
my carelessness in taking you so far from home,” 
said the Captain. 

It was sunset when Sylvia and Estralla, es- 
corted by one of the soldiers from Fort Sumter, 


AT FORT SUMTER 


51 


came walking up East Battery. Mrs. Fulton 
was on the piazza, and Mrs. Waite and Grace 
were with her. Grace was the first to see and 
recognize Sylvia, and with a cry of delight ran 
to welcome her. 

The soldier had a note for Mrs. Fulton ex- 
plaining that Sylvia, apparently on her way from 
school, had wandered down to the landing, and of 
Captain Carleton’s forgetting her presence in the 
cabin, so that Sylvia was not questioned that 
night in regard to her disappearance from Miss 
Patten’s. Grace knew nothing of Sylvia’s en- 
counter with Elinor Mayhew, so no one could 
imagine why she had started for home without a 
word to Miss Patten. 

Mrs. Fulton was too rejoiced to have her little 
girl safely at home to question or blame her. 

Sylvia was not hungry. The officer in charge 
of Fort Sumter had given the two children an 
excellent supper. But she was tired and very 
glad to have a warm bath and go straight to bed. 

“ Oh, Mother! This has been the most horrid 
day in all my life,” she said, as her mother 
brushed out the tangled yellow hair, and helped 
her prepare for bed. 

“ It has been rather hard for your father and 


52 


A YANKEE GIRL 


me,” Mrs. Fulton reminded her; “we began to 
fear some dreadful thing had happened to our 
little girl. Promise me, Sylvia, never to run 
away from school again.” 

Sylvia promised. She wished she could tell 
her mother that it was not school she ran away 
from; that she was trying to escape the taunts 
and unfriendliness of her schoolmates. But she 
remembered her promise. She had declared 
proudly that she should not tell, and hard as it 
was she resolved that she would keep that prom- 
ise. But she wished with all her heart that she 
need not go to school another day. 

“ Do I have to go to Miss Patten’s school, 
Mother? ” she asked in so unhappy a voice that 
Mrs. Fulton realized something unpleasant had 
happened. 

“We will talk it over to-morrow, dear,” she 
said; “go to sleep now,” and Sylvia crept into 
the white bed quite ready to sleep, but wondering 
how she could talk about going to school, and still 
keep her promise, when to-morrow came. 


CHAPTER V 

ESTRALLA AND ELINOR 

In the morning Sylvia did not refer to what 
had happened the day before, so her mother de- 
cided not to question her. Grace and Flora both 
arrived at an early hour to accompany Sylvia to 
school. They were eager to hear how she had 
happened to be on the schooner which had carried 
arms to Fort Sumter from the Charleston Ar- 
senal. But Sylvia did not seem to want to talk 
of her adventure, and both the little southern 
girls were too polite to question her. 

“ Father says those guns don’t belong to the 
United States, they belong to South Carolina.” 

Sylvia did not reply. She recalled one of her 
lessons, however, where she had learned that the 
United States meant each and every State in the 
Union and she remembered what Captain Carle- 
ton had said. 

“ Mother says I may go with you on Saturday, 
53 


54 


A YANKEE GIRL 


Flora,” interrupted Grace; “ I wish it was Fri- 
day this minute.” 

“ So do I,” agreed Flora laughingly; “ and we 
must teach Sylvia to ride on one of the ponies this 
time.” 

For on the previous visit Sylvia had said that 
she wished she could ride as Flora did. 

“ Oh ! Truly? Flora, do you really mean it? ” 
Sylvia asked. 

“ Of course I do. We will have a ride Satur- 
day afternoon and again Sunday,” replied Flora. 

With the pleasure of the plantation visit in 
store Sylvia for the moment forgot all about her 
dread of facing the girls at school. Miss Patten 
detained her at the door of the schoolroom with 
a warmer greeting than usual, but said: “ My 
dear, I want to talk with you at recess; ” but her 
smile was so friendly and her words so kind that 
Sylvia was not troubled. As she passed Elinor’s 
seat she did not look up, but the whisper, “ Yan- 
kee,” made her flush, and brought back all her 
dislike of the tall, handsome Elinor. 

At recess, after the other girls had left the 
schoolroom, Miss Patten came to Sylvia’s desk 
and sat down beside her. 

“ Sylvia, dear,” she said gently, “ I want you 


AT FORT SUMTER 


55 


to tell me why you started off alone yesterday. 
Had anything happened here at school to make 
you so unhappy that you did not want to stay? ” 

Sylvia looked up in surprise. Why, Miss 
Patten seemed to know all about it, she thought. 
How easy it would be to tell her the whole story. 
But suddenly she resolved that no matter what 
Miss Patten knew, she, Sylvia, must not break 
her word. So she looked down at her desk, and 
made no reply. 

“ I am sure none of the other pupils would 
mean to hurt your feelings, Sylvia. But if any 
of them have carelessly said something that 
sounded unkind, I know they will apologize,” 
continued the friendly voice; and again Sylvia 
looked up. If she told what Elinor and May 
had said she was now sure that Miss Rosalie 
would make them both say they were sorry; and 
Sylvia remembered that she had declared to them 
that they should do exactly that. 

“ Would they really, Miss Patten? ” she asked 
in so serious a voice that the teacher believed for 
the moment that she would soon know the exact 
reason why Sylvia had fled from the school; and 
she was right, she was about to hear it, but not 
from Sylvia. 


56 


A YANKEE GIRL 


There was a little silence in the quiet pleasant 
room where the scent of jessamine and honey- 
suckle came through the open windows, and no 
sound disturbed the two at Sylvia’s desk. Sylvia 
was assuring herself that she really ought to tell 
Miss Patten; but somehow she could not speak. 
If she broke a promise, even to an enemy, as she 
felt Elinor Mayhew to be, she would despise her- 
self. But Elinor would have to apologize for 
the way she had treated Sylvia. Just at this mo- 
ment of hesitation a round woolly head appeared 
at one of the open windows. Two small black 
hands rested on the window-sill, and a moment 
later Estralla, in her faded blue dress, was 
standing directly in front of Miss Patten and 
Sylvia. 

“ I begs pardon, Missy Teacher. But I knows 
my missy ain’t done nuffin’ to be kept shut up 
for. An’ I knows why she runned off yesterd’y. 
Yas’m. I heered dat tall dark girl an’ nuther 
girl sayin’ as how Missy Sylvia was a Yankee. 
Yas’m; and as how they was glad they called her 
names. Yas’m, I sho’ heered ’em say those very 
words,” and Estralla bobbed her head, and stood 
trembling in every limb before “ Missy Teacher,” 
not knowing what would happen to her, but de- 


AT FORT SUMTER 


57 


termined that the little white girl, who had pro- 
tected her, and given her the fine pink dress, 
should not be punished. 

“Oh, Estralla!” whispered Sylvia, her face 
brightening. 

Miss Rosalie stood up, and rested her hand on 
Sylvia’s shoulder. 

“And so you would not tell, or complain about 
your schoolmates?” Then without waiting for 
a reply, she leaned over and kissed Sylvia. 
“ That is right, dear child. I am proud to have 
you as a pupil. Now,” and she turned to Es- 
tralla, “ you run home as fast as you can go. 
Your young mistress is not being punished, and 
will not be. But you did just right in coming to 
tell me. But the next time you come remember 
to come in at the door! ” and Miss Rosalie smiled 
pleasantly at the little darky, whose face now was 
radiant with delight. 

“ Yas’m. I sho’ will ’member,” and with a 
smile at Sylvia, Estralla tiptoed toward the open 
door and disappeared. 

It was a very grave teacher who watched her 
pupils return to their seats that morning. It 
was a time when all the people in the southern 
city were anxious and troubled. There had al- 


58 


A YANKEE GIRL 

ways been slaves in South Carolina, and now the 
Government of the United States was realizing 
that the black people must not be kept in servi- 
tude; that they had the same rights as white peo- 
ple; and it was difficult for the Charleston people 
to acknowledge that this was right. 

Miss Rosalie was a South Carolinian, and she 
was sure that Charleston people did right to insist 
on keeping their slaves, even if it meant war. 
And it now seemed likely that the North and 
South might come to warfare. The word “ Yan- 
kee ” was as hateful to Miss Rosalie as it was to 
Elinor Mayhew, and for that very reason she de- 
termined that Elinor should make a public apol- 
ogy for calling one of her schoolmates a “ Yan- 
kee.” To the Carolinians the name meant the 
name of their enemies, and it seemed to Miss 
Rosalie a very dreadful thing to accuse this little 
northern girl of being an enemy. 

After the girls were all seated she said in a 
very quiet tone: 

“ Elinor, please come to the platform.” 

For a moment Elinor hesitated. Then she 
walked slowly down the aisle and stood beside 
Miss Patten. 

“ Now, young ladies, I do not need to explain 


AT FORT SUMTER 


59 


to you the meaning of the word 4 courtesy.’ You 
all know that it means kindness and consideration 
of the rights and feelings of others. You know 
as well the meaning of the word 4 hospitality ’ ; 
that it means that any person who is received be- 
neath your roof is entitled to courtesy and to 
more than that, to protection. Even savages 
will protect any traveler who comes into their 
home, and give the best they have to make him 
comfortable.” Miss Rosalie stopped a moment, 
and then said: 44 If there is anyone of you who 
has not known the meaning of the two words to 
which I refer, will she please to rise.” 

The girls all remained seated. 

44 Elinor, you will now apologize for having 
failed in courtesy and in hospitality to one of my 
pupils.” 

Elinor stood looking out across the schoolroom. 
Her mouth was tightly closed, and apparently 
she had no intention of obeying. 

44 Do I have to apologize for speaking the 
truth? ” she demanded. 

The girls held their breath. Was it possible 
that Elinor dared defy Miss Patten? Grace and 
Flora were sadly puzzled. They were the only 
pupils who did not understand the exact reason, 


60 A YANKEE GIRL 

Elinor’s treatment of Sylvia, for Miss Patten’s 
demand. 

The teacher did not respond, and Elinor did 
not speak. Then after a moment Miss Patten 
said, “ Take your seat, Elinor. I shall make this 
request of you again at the beginning of the 
afternoon session. If you do not comply with it 
you will no longer be received as a pupil in this 
school.” 


CHAPTER VI 


SYLVIA AT THE PLANTATION 

When the afternoon session opened Elinor 
Mayhew was not in her usual place. Grace and 
Flora had been told by the other girls what had 
happened on the day of Sylvia’s disappearance 
from school. May Bailey had declared that Syl- 
via must have “ run straight to the teacher,” and 
that she was a telltale as well as a “ Yankee.” 
Grace had defended her friend warmly. 

“ I don’t know how Miss Rosalie found out, 
but I’m sure Sylvia did not tell,” she declared. 

Flora was unusually quiet. There were many 
scornful looks sent in Sylvia’s direction that 
afternoon, which Miss Patten noticed and easily 
understood. Before school was dismissed she 
said that she had a brief announcement to make. 

“ I want to say to you that the pupil whom 
Elinor treated with such a lack of courtesy did 
not inform me of the fact. Nor would she say 
one word against any of her schoolmates when I 
61 


62 


A YANKEE GIRL 


questioned her. Someone who overheard Eli- 
nor’s unfriendly remarks came and told me.” 

Flora Hayes smiled and drew a long breath. 
She did not blame Sylvia for being a “ Yankee,” 
but it had troubled her to think of her new friend 
as a “ telltale,” whatever her provocation might 
have been. The other girls began to look at Syl- 
via with more friendly eyes, and as they ran down 
the steps several found a chance to nod and smile 
at her, or to exchange some word. So Sylvia be- 
gan to feel that her troubles were over, if Elinor 
Mayhew did not return to school. 

“ Father, are you sure ‘ Yankee ’ doesn’t mean 
anything beside ‘American ’?” she asked in a very 
serious tone, as she sat beside Mr. Fulton on the 
piazza that evening. They were quite alone, as 
Mrs. Fulton had stepped to the kitchen to speak 
to Aunt Connie. 

“ The girls at school all think it means some- 
thing dreadful,” she added. 

“ Let me see, Sylvia. You study history, don’t 
you? ” responded her father slowly. “ Of course 
you do; and you know that George Washington 
and General Putnam and General Warren, and 
many more brave men, defended this country and 
its liberty? ” 


AT FORT SUMTER 


63 


“ Why, yes,” replied Sylvia, greatly puzzled. 

“ The men of South Carolina were among the 
bravest and most loyal of the defenders of our 
liberties. And when America’s enemies called 
American men 4 Yankees ’ they meant General 
Washington and every other American who was 
ready to defend the United States of America. 
So if any of your friends use the word 4 Yankee ’ 
scornfully they agree with the enemies of the 
Union. No one need be ashamed of being called 
a 4 Yankee.’ It means someone who is ready to 
fight for what is right.” 

But Sylvia still wondered. 44 The girls don’t 
think so,” she said. 

44 Well, that is because they don’t understand. 
They will know when they are older,” said Mr. 
Fulton. He did not imagine that any of the 
companions of his little daughter had treated her 
in an unfriendly fashion, and thought it a good 
opportunity to make her understand the real 
meaning of the word. 

44 You are a Yankee girl. And that means 
you must always try to protect other people who 
need protection,” said her father. 

Sylvia’s face brightened. She could easily un- 
derstand that. It meant that she must not let 


64 


A YANKEE GIRL 


Estralla get a whipping when she had not de- 
served it; and she was glad she had not told the 
real story of the broken pitcher. She resolved 
always to remember what her father had said. 

The remainder of the week passed pleasantly. 
Elinor Mayhew did not return to school, and the 
other girls profited by her example and no longer 
teased or taunted the little northern girl. 

Saturday morning proved to be perfect 
weather for the drive to the Hayes plantation. 
The sun shone, the clear October air was full of 
autumnal fragrance, and when the Hayes carry- 
all, drawn by two pretty brown horses, and driven 
by black Chris, the Hayes coachman, and Flora’s 
black mammy on the seat beside him, stopped in 
front of Sylvia’s house and Flora came running 
up the path, Sylvia and Grace were on the steps 
all ready to start. 

There was plenty of room for all three girls on 
the back seat, and Flora declared that Sylvia 
should sit between Grace and herself. Mrs. Ful- 
ton and Estralla stood at the gate and watched 
the happy little party drive off . Estralla looked 
very sober. Ever since the adventure at Fort 
Sumter the little colored girl had felt that she 
must look after Missy Sylvia carefully. And 


AT FORT SUMTER 


65 


she was not well pleased to see her young mistress 
disappear from her watchful eyes. 

“ What a funny name ‘ Estralla ’ is,” laughed 
Flora, as Sylvia called back a good-bye. 

“ Oh, that isn’t her name, really,” explained 
Grace. “You know my Uncle Robert owns her, 
and Auntie Connie named her after Aunt Esther 
and Cousin Alice. Her name is really Esther 
Alice. But the colored people never speak as 
we do.” 

“ How can anybody ‘ own ’ anybody else, even 
if their skin is black? ” asked Sylvia. 

Both her companions looked at her in such evi- 
dent surprise that Sylvia was sure she ought not 
to have asked such a question. Suddenly she re- 
membered that Flora’s “ Mammy ” and “ Uncle 
Chris,” as Flora called him, were negroes, and of 
course must have heard. She resolved not to ask 
another question during her visit. 

Their way took them through pleasant streets 
shaded by spice trees and an occasional oak. 
From behind high walls came the fragrance of 
orange blossoms, ripening pomegranates and 
grapes. Very soon they had crossed the Ashley 
River, and now the road ran between broad fields 
of cotton where negroes were already at work 


66 A YANKEE GIRL 

gathering the white fluffy crop which would be 
packed in bags and bales and shipped to many 
far distant ports. 

The three little friends talked gaily of the 
pleasant visit which had just begun. Sylvia was 
hoping that Flora would again speak of the 
promised ride on one of the white ponies, but not 
until Uncle Chris guided the swift horses into the 
driveway, shaded by fine live-oaks, which led to 
the big house, was her wish gratified. 

“ We’ll have a ride this afternoon, girls, if you 
are not too tired,” she said. 

Grace and Sylvia promptly declared that they 
were not at all tired, and that a ride was just 
what they would like best. 

The plantation’s “ big house,” as the negroes 
called the owner’s home, was the largest house 
Sylvia had ever entered. Its high piazza with 
the tall pillars was covered by a tangle of jessa- 
mine vines and climbing roses. The front hall 
led straight through the house to another piazza, 
which looked out over beautiful gardens and a 
tiny lake. Behind a thick hedge of privet were 
the cabins of the house servants. The negroes 
who did the work on the plantation, caring for 
the horses and cows, and working in the cotton 


AT FORT SUMTER 67 

fields, lived at some distance from the “ big ” 
house. 

Mrs. Hayes came out on the piazza to welcome 
the party. She had come down from Charleston 
on the previous day. It seemed to Sylvia she 
had never seen so many negroes before in all her 
life. Neat colored maids were flitting about the 
house, colored men were at work in the garden, 
and colored children peered smilingly around the 
corner of the house. 

A colored maid was told to look after Grace 
and Sylvia, and she led the way up the beautiful 
spiral staircase to a pleasant chamber overlook- 
ing the garden. There were two small white 
beds, with a little mahogany light -stand between 
them. On this stand stood a tall brass candle- 
stick. There were two dressing-tables, and two 
small bureaus, and a number of comfortable 
chintz-covered chairs. The floor was of dark, 
shining wood, and beside each bed was a long, 
soft white rug. 

Sylvia and Grace knew that this room had 
been arranged especially for any of Flora’s 
young friends whom she might entertain, and 
they both thought it was one of the nicest rooms 
that anyone could imagine. The smiling colored 


68 


A YANKEE GIRL 


maid brushed their hair, helped them into the 
fresh muslin dresses they had each brought, and 
when they were ready opened the door and fol- 
lowed them dow r n the stairs where they found 
Flora awaiting them. 

“ Luncheon is all ready,” she said, and led the 
way into the dining-room, where Mrs. Hayes and 
Flora’s two older brothers, Ralph and Philip, 
were waiting for them. The boys were tall, 
good-looking lads, and as they were in the uni- 
form of the Military School of Charleston, of 
which they were pupils, Sylvia thought they must 
be quite grown up, although Ralph was only six- 
teen and his brother two years younger. They 
had ridden out on horseback from Charleston, and 
had just arrived. 

Flora introduced them to Sylvia, and Grace 
greeted them as old acquaintances. 

“ I suppose you girls are looking forward to 
the corn-shucking to-night?” Ralph asked, with 
his pleasant smile, as he held Sylvia’s chair for 
her to take her seat at the table, while Philip per- 
formed the same service for Grace. 

“ Oh, my dear boy! You have betrayed Flora’s 
surprise,” said Mrs. Hayes. “ She had planned 
not to let the girls knoAV about it until nightfall.” 


AT FORT SUMTER 


69 


“What is a ‘ corn-shucking ’? ” questioned 
Sylvia; for she had always lived in a city and did 
not know much about farm or plantation affairs. 

“ Shall I tell her, Flora? ” questioned Ralph, 
laughingly. 

“ No! No, indeed! Wait, Sylvia, then it will 
be a surprise after all,” responded Flora. 

Sylvia smiled happily. She was sure that this 
visit was going to be even more delightful than 
when she had been Flora’s guest in the early 
spring. There seemed to be so many things to 
do on a plantation, she thought. 

The young people were all hungry, and en- 
joyed the roasted duck, with the sweet-potatoes 
and the grape jelly. Beside these there were 
hot biscuit and delicious custards. Sylvia had 
finished her custard when two maids brought a 
large tray into the room, and in a moment the 
little girls exclaimed in admiring delight; for the 
tray contained two doves, made of blanc-mange, 
resting in a nest of fine, gold-colored shreds of 
candied orange-peel, and an iced cake in the 
shape of a fort, with the palmetto flag on a tiny 
staff. 

At the sight of their State flag both the boys 
arose from their seats and saluted. 


70 


A YANKEE GIRL 


“ That’s the flag to fly over Charleston’s 
forts ! ” declared Ralph as he sat down. 

After luncheon was over Mrs. Hayes advised 
the girls to lie down for a little rest before start- 
ing for their ride. But they all declared they 
were not tired, and there were so many things to 
see and enjoy at the plantation that Sylvia and 
Grace were delighted when Flora suggested that 
first of all they should go out through the garden 
to the negro quarters, stopping at the stables on 
their way for a look at the ponies. 

Sylvia was ready before the other girls and 
stood on the piazza waiting. She was leaning 
against one of the vine-covered pillars that sup- 
ported the piazza, and Ralph and Philip, who 
were sitting just around the corner, did not know 
she was there and could not see her. Sylvia 
could hear their voices, but did not at first notice 
what they were saying until the word “ Yankee ” 
caught her ear. 

“The first thing you know those northern 
Yankees will take our forts,” she heard Philip 
say, and heard Ralph laugh scornfully as he re- 
sponded: “ They can’t do it, or free our slaves, 
either. Say, did you know Father was going to 
sell Dinkie; she’s making such a fuss that I 


AT FORT SUMTER 71 

reckon she’ll get a lashing; says she don’t want to 
leave her children.” 

There was a little silence, and then the younger 
boy spoke. 

“ I wish they wouldn’t sell Dinkie. I hate to 
have her go. It isn’t fair. Of course she feels 
bad to leave those little darkies of hers. Jove! ” 
and the boy’s voice had an angry tone, “ Dinkie 
shan’t be whipped! I won’t have it. She used 
to be my mammy.” 

Suddenly Sylvia realized that she was listening, 
and ran down the steps toward the little lake 
which lay glimmering in the sun beneath the 
shade of the overhanging pepper trees. She ran 
on past the lake down a little path which led to- 
ward the pine woods. She no longer felt happy, 
and full of anticipations of the surprise in store 
at the corn-shucking. All she could think of was 
“ Dinkie,” a woman who was to be sold away 
from her children, and who was to be whipped 
because she rebelled against the cruelty of her 
master. 

“ It’s because she’s a slave,” Sylvia whispered 
to herself. “ I hate slavery. My father said 
Yankees always fought for what was right. Why 
don’t they fight against slavery?” She quite 


72 


A YANKEE GIRL 


forgot that Flora and Grace would wonder where 
she had gone, and be alarmed at her absence. 

“ I do wish I could see Dinkie,” she thought. 
“ I wish I could do something to help set every 
slave free.” Then she remembered that Philip 
had declared that Dinkie should neither be sold 
nor whipped. 

“ I like Philip,” she declared aloud, and was 
surprised to hear a little chuckling laugh from 
somewhere behind her, and turned quickly to find 
a smiling negro woman close behind her. 

“ I likes Massa Philip myse’f,” declared the 
woman, “ an’ I wishes I could see him j.us’ a min- 
ute,” and her smile disappeared. “ I’se shuah 
Massa Philip won’ let ’em sell Dinkie, or lash her 
either,” and putting her apron over her face the 
woman began to cry. 

“ He won’t ! I heard him say he wouldn’t have 
it,” Sylvia assured her eagerly. “ Don’t cry, 
Dinkie,” and she patted the woman’s arm. 

Dinkie let her apron fall and looked eagerly at 
Sylvia. 

“ You’se the little Yankee missy, ain’t you? ” 
she questioned. “ I hear say that Yankees don’t 
believe in selling black folks.” 

“ They don’t; I’m sure they don’t. I’ll run 


AT FORT SUMTER 


73 


right back and tell Philip you want to see him,” 
replied Sylvia. “ You stay right here by this 
tree,” she added, pointing to a big live-oak. 

“ Yas, Missy, I thanks you,” replied the 
woman. 

Sylvia ran back toward the house as fast as she 
could go. She could see the ponies standing be- 
fore the house, a small negro boy holding their 
bridle-reins. The girls were on the steps waiting 
for her. 

“ I mustn’t let them know that Dinkie wants 
to see Philip,” she thought, as the girls called out 
that they had been looking everywhere for her. 
At that moment the two boys came along the 
piazza. 

“ Philip is going to teach you how to mount, 
and how to hold your reins, Sylvia,” said Flora. 

Grace and Sylvia were to ride the white ponies, 
and Flora was to ride a small brown horse which 
her mother usually rode. 

Philip came slowly down the steps. He looked 
very sober, and Sylvia was sure that he was think- 
ing about Dinkie. “ I don’t believe he thinks 
slavery is right,” she thought, as Philip raised his 
cap, and asked if she was ready to mount 
“ Snap,” the pony which she was to ride. 


74 A YANKEE GIRL 

Flora and Grace were already mounted, and 
trotted slowly off. Sylvia and Philip were alone 
on the driveway. 

“ Dinkie wants to see you. She’s waiting 
down by the oak, beyond the lake,” said Sylvia. 
“And don’t let her be whipped,” she added. 

The boy looked up at her quickly. 

“ Don’t tell the girls that she sent for me,” he 
replied. “ Dinkie shan’t be whipped, or sold 
either.” He did not thank Sylvia for her mes- 
sage, and she was glad that he did not. With a 
brief word of direction as to the proper man- 
ner of holding the reins, he turned toward the 
lake, and Sylvia’s pony trotted slowly down 
the drive to where Flora and Grace were wait- 
ing. 

Flora led the way past the stables, and down a 
broad path which led to the negro quarters. The 
ponies went at a slow pace, as Flora wanted to be 
sure that Sylvia was not afraid, and that she was 
enjoying her first ride. 

“ The corn-shucking will be here,” she said, 
pointing with her pretty gold-mounted whip to a 
number of corn-cribs. “ They will bring the 
corn in from the fields, and we will come down in 
good season.” 


AT FORT SUMTER 75 

“And the moon will be full to-night,” said 
Grace, beginning to sing: 

“ ‘De jay-bird hunt de sparrer-nes’, 

All by de light of de moon. 

De bee-martin sail all ’roun \ 

All by de light of de moon. 

De squirrel he holler from de top of de tree ; 

Mr. Mole he stay in de groun’, 

Oh, yes! Mr. Mole he stay in de groun ’ } ” 

Sylvia listened and smiled as she looked at the 
happy faces of her friends. But she could not 
forget Dinkie, and wondered if Philip could 
really protect the unhappy woman from a whip- 
ping, and prevent her being sold away from her 
children. 

As they passed the cabins of the negroes the 
children ran out bobbing and smiling to their 
young mistress, and Flora called out a friendly 
greeting. 

“ Father’s going to sell a lot of those niggers,” 
she said carelessly. “ They eat more than they’re 
worth.” 

“ But won’t their mothers feel dreadfully to 
let them go? ” ventured Sylvia. 

“ Of course they will,” declared Grace, before 
Flora could respond. “And I do think it’s a 


76 


A YANKEE GIRL 


shame. Did you know Uncle Robert is going to 
sell Estralla? ” she asked turning to Sylvia. 

Sylvia’s grasp on the reins loosened, and she 
nearly lost her seat on the broad back of the fat 
pony. 

“ What for? ” she questioned, thinking to her- 
self that Estralla should not be sold away from 
her home and mother if she, Sylvia, could pre- 
vent it. 

“ Oh, Uncle’s agent says she isn’t of any use, 
and he can get a good price for her. He would 
have sold her last month if your mother had not 
taken her in. I expect Aunt Connie will be half 
crazy, for all her other children are gone,” said 
Grace. 

“ We mustn’t ride too far this time,” Flora in- 
terrupted, “ because it’s Sylvia’s first ride. 
Hasn’t she done well? Do you suppose you can 
turn the pony? ” 

“ Yes, indeed,” answered Sylvia, drawing the 
left rein so tightly that the little pony swung 
round before Flora had time to give a word of 
direction. As they were now headed toward 
home “ Snap ” went off at a good pace, well in 
advance of the others. It was all Sylvia could 
do to keep her seat, but she was not frightened. 


AT FORT SUMTER 


77 


and when the pony raced up the driveway and 
came to a standstill directly in front of the piazza 
steps she was laughing with delight. For the 
moment she had quite forgotten Dinkie and 
Estralla. 


CHAPTER VII 

SYLVIA SEES A GHOST 

“ It was splendid,” declared Sylvia as Grace 
and Flora dismounted and the three little friends 
entered the house. Flora’s black “ Mammy ” 
was waiting for them on the piazza. 

“ Thar’s some ’freshments fur yo’ in de dinin’ - 
room,” she said; and the girls were glad for the 
cool milk and the tiny frosted cakes which a negro 
girl served them. Sylvia wondered if Flora ever 
did anything for herself ; for there seemed to be 
so many negro servants who were on the alert to 
wait upon all the white people at the “big house.” 

“ Come up to my room, girls, and rest until it’s 
time to dress for supper,” said Flora. 

Flora’s room was just across the hall from the 
one where Grace and Sylvia were to sleep. In- 
stead of a small white bed like theirs there was a 
big bed of dark mahogany with four tall, high 
posts. The bed was so high that there was a 
78 


AT FORT SUMTER 


79 


cushioned step beside it. The portrait of a lady 
hung over a beautiful inlaid desk, and Flora 
pointed to it with evident pride. 

“That’s my great-grandmother; and her father 
built this house. My mother says that she was 
Lady Caroline, and that she was so beautiful that 
whenever she went to Charleston people would 
run after her coach just to look at her,” and Flora 
looked at her companions expectantly, quite for- 
getting that she had told them the story before. 

“ Oh, Flora! Every time I come out here you 
tell me about your wonderful great-grand- 
mother,” said Grace, “ and you used to tell me 
that her ghost haunted this house.” 

“ Well, it does,” declared Flora. 

Sylvia had never heard of Lady Caroline’s 
ghost. “ Do tell me about it, Flora,” she urged. 

There was a wide cushioned seat with many 
pillows beneath the windows, and here the girls 
established themselves very comfortably. 

“ Yes, tell Sylvia the story,” said Grace, piling 
up several cushions behind her back. “ Of course 
it isn’t true, but it’s thrilling.” 

“ It is true,” persisted Flora. “ My mother 
says that her own governess saw Lady Caro- 
line’s ghost. And that she had on the very hat 


80 


A YANKEE GIRL 


she has on in the portrait, and the same blue dress 
and lace collar. You know there’s a secret stair- 
way in this house. It leads from one of the 
closets in your room down to a closet in my 
father’s library and out-of-doors, and Lady Caro- 
line’s ghost always comes in that way.” 

Sylvia looked up at the beautiful pictured face 
with a little shiver. “ I guess that the governess 
dreamed it,” she said. 

“ Of course she did,” declared Grace. “ I 
think you look like that picture, Flora,” she 
added. 

“ Well, whether you believe it or not, every- 
body knows that this is a haunted house,” per- 
sisted Flora. “ Why, there is an account of it in 
a book.” 

But Grace shook her head laughingly. “ Flora, 
show Sylvia your lovely lace-work,” she said. 

Flora nodded, but Sylvia was sure that she was 
not pleased at Grace’s refusal to believe in the 
ghost. 

“ Mammy! Mam-m-e-e,” called Flora, and in 
a moment the black woman stood bobbing and 
smiling in the doorway. 

“ Bring my lace-work,” said Flora. 

“ Yas, Missy,” and Mammy trotted across the 


AT FORT SUMTER 


81 


room to a little table in the further corner and 
brought Flora a covered basket. She opened it 
and set it down in front of her little mistress. 

“ Do’s yo’ want anyt’ing else. Missy Flora? ” 
she asked. 

“ If I do I’ll call,” replied the little girl, and 
Mammy again disappeared. 

The basket was lined with rose-colored silk, 
and there were little pockets all around it. In 
the centre lay a cushion on which was a lace pat- 
tern defined by delicate threads and tiny circles 
of pins. A little strip of finished lace was rolled 
up in a bit of tissue paper. Flora took off the 
paper. “ See, it is the jessamine pattern,” she 
explained. “ My mother’s governess was a Bel- 
gian lady, and she taught my mother how to 
make lace and my mother taught me.” 

“ I wish I could make lace,” said Sylvia. “ It 
would be lovely to make some for a present for 
my mother.” 

“ Of course it would. I’ll teach you this win- 
ter,” promised the good-natured Flora ; “ let me 
see your hands. You know a lace-maker’s hands 
must be as smooth as silk, because any roughness 
would catch the delicate threads.” 

Sylvia’s hands were still scratched and roughed 


82 


A YANKEE GIRL 


from her fall in Miss Rosalie’s garden and her 
scramble over the wall, and Flora shook her head. 
“ You’ll have to wait awhile. And you must 
wear gloves every time you go out, and wash your 
hands in milk every night,” she said very seri- 
ously. “ Now I’ll show you my embroidery. 
Mam-m-e-e! Mam-m-e-e,” and another basket 
was brought and opened. This basket was also 
lined with rose-colored silk, but the silk had deli- 
cate green vines running over it. On the inside 
of the cover, held in place by tiny straps, were 
two pairs of shining scissors with gold handles, a 
gold-mounted emery bag, shaped like a straw- 
berry, an embroidery stiletto of ivory, and a gold 
thimble. 

Flora lifted out the embroidery frame, and 
putting on her thimble took a few exact, dainty 
stitches in the collar. 

“What lovely work you can do, Flora!” 
exclaimed Sylvia. “ Don’t you ever play 
dolls? ” remembering her own cherished dolls 
in their small chairs in the corner of her room at 
home. 

“ Oh, I used to,” replied Flora, “ but since I 
began school at Miss Patten’s I don’t seem to 
care about dolls.” 


AT FORT SUMTER S3 

“ Flora can play on the harp,” announced 
Grace. 

“ Oh, only just a little,” responded Flora 
quickly. 

“ I think Flora can do more things than any 
girl I ever knew,” declared Sylvia admiringly; 
“ and I was just thinking that the servants did 
everything in the world.” 

Flora laughed. “ You never lived on a plan- 
tation, or you couldn’t think that. Why, my 
mother works more than Mammy ever did. She 
has to tell all the house darkies what to do, and see 
that all the hands have clothes, and that the fruits 
are preserved. Why, she’s always busy,” replied 
Flora. “And of course ladies have to know how 
to do things,” she concluded. 

When Grace and Sylvia went to their own 
room Flora went with them. “ I’ll show you 
where that secret staircase is,” she said, and open- 
ing the closet door pressed on a broad panel 
which moved slowly. 

“ There,” and Flora drew Sylvia near so 
she could look down a dark narrow stair- 
way. 

“ But that isn’t seeing a ghost,” Grace said 
laughingly. 


84 


A YANKEE GIRL 

Flora made no answer, and Sylvia wondered 
why her little hostess looked so serious. 

Supper was ready when the girls came down- 
stairs, and as soon as it was over the family all 
started off toward the field where the corn-shuck- 
ing was to be. Philip walked with Flora and 
Sylvia, a little behind the others, and Sylvia 
hoped she would have a chance to ask him about 
Dinkie. 

The house servants were carrying down big 
baskets filled with food; for as soon as the corn 
was shucked there would be a supper for the 
workers. 

The corn was brought close to the corn-cribs 
and heaped up in great piles. The negroes were 
already busily at work, and before Sylvia and her 
friends reached the field they could hear laughter, 
the sound of a banjo, and singing; and as they 
came into the open space Sylvia gave a little ex- 
clamation of surprise. A dozen or more negroes 
were dancing up and down in front of the 
workers, singing: 

“I know dat supper will be big, 

Shuck dat corn before you eat. 

I think I smell a fine roast pig, 

Shuck dat corn before you eat. 


AT FORT SUMTER 


85 


I smell de supper, dat I do, 

Shuck dat corn before you eat. 

On de table will be fine stew, 

Shuck dat corn before you eat . * 1 

When they finished singing they sat down and 
began work, and other negroes jumped up and 
sang other songs. 

“ They all look as ha|)py as can be,” exclaimed 
Sylvia. 

“ Well, tell them they’re going to be sold and 
they won’t be very happy,” grumbled Philip, who 
stood beside her. “ I can’t get my mother to 
promise not to sell Dinkie,” he continued, as 
Flora turned to speak to Grace, “ but she has 
promised not to let her be whipped.” 

Sylvia’s delight in the negroes and their songs 
all vanished. 

“ But you said you wouldn’t let her be sold. I 
told her you said so,” she responded. 

“ You may be sure Dinkie won’t be sold,” the 
boy declared. “I know when Father comes 
home he will give me Dinkie if I ask him, and I 
mean to ask him first thing. My! I hate this 
buying and selling darkies. I almost wish I 
lived in Boston,” he concluded. 


86 


A YANKEE GIRL 


It was rather late when Mrs. Hayes led the 
way back to the house, and Grace declared that 
she was almost too sleepy to walk up-stairs. But 
Sylvia was not at all sleepy. After the colored 
girl had helped them prepare for bed, blown out 
the candle, and left the room, she lay watching 
the shadows of the moving vines on the wall. She 
wished she was at home, for who knew but that 
Estralla’s master might sell her before she re- 
turned. Sylvia wondered what she could do to 
protect the little girl. “ I might hide her,” she 
thought; but what place would be secure? Sud- 
denly she remembered something that she had 
heard Captain Carleton say when she was eating 
luncheon on that unlucky trip to Fort Sumter. 
“ This fort could make South Carolina give up 
slavery,” he had said. Why, then, of course Es- 
tralla would be perfectly safe if she was only at 
Fort Sumter, concluded the little girl, with a 
long sigh of relief. “ I must get her there just 
as soon as I get home,” she decided. 

Then suddenly Sylvia sat straight up in bed. 
The closet door had swung softly open, and a fig- 
ure with a big hat and trailing dress stepped out. 
Sylvia was not frightened. “ It’s the ghost,” she 
whispered; and leaning across poked Grace, ex- 


AT FORT SUMTER 87 

claiming: “ Grace! Look quick! here is Lady 
Caroline ! ” 

In an instant Grace was wide awake. 

“ Where? ” she demanded, in a frightened 
voice, clutching Sylvia’s hand. 

“ Right there! By the closet door,” said Syl- 
via. “ Oh ! she’s gone ! ” 

For as she looked toward the closet the figure 
had disappeared. 

“ There, you waked me up for nothing. You 
dreamed it,” declared Grace. 

“Oh, I didn’t! Truly, I didn’t. I haven’t 
been asleep,” Sylvia insisted. “ It is just as 
Flora said. There is a ghost.” Just then both 
the girls heard a startled cry, and a sound as if 
something had fallen in the room under them. 

“ What’s that? ” whispered Grace. “ Oh, Syl- 
via, do you suppose there really is a ghost? ” 

“ Yes, I saw it,” declared Sylvia, with such 
evident satisfaction in her tone that Grace forgot 
to be frightened. “ Well, I guess it fell down- 
stairs,” she chuckled ; but in spite of their lack of 
fear both the little girls were excited over the un- 
usual noise, and Sylvia was sure now that Flora 
had been right in saying the house was haunted. 
She wished it was already morning that she might 
tell Flora all that had happened. 


CHAPTER VIII 


A TWILIGHT TEA-PARTY 

It was late when Grace and Sylvia awoke the 
following morning, but they were down-stairs be- 
fore the boys appeared. Mrs. Hayes greeted 
them smilingly, but she said that Flora was not 
well and that Mammy would take her break- 
fast to her up-stairs. 

“After breakfast you must go up and stay with 
her a little while,” said Mrs. Hayes. 

“ Why, Flora was never ill in her life,” de- 
clared Ralph; “what’s the matter?” 

“ She is not really ill, but she fell over some- 
thing last night and bruised her arm and shoul- 
der, so that she feels lame and tired, and I 
thought a few hours in bed would be the best 
thing for her,” explained Mrs. Hayes. “ Mammy 
doesn’t seem to know just how it happened,” she 
concluded. 

Sylvia and Grace had talked over the “ ghost ” 
before coming down-stairs. Grace had tried her 
88 


AT FORT SUMTER 


89 


best to convince Sylvia that she had really 
dreamed “ Lady Caroline,” but Sylvia insisted 
that a figure in a wide plumed hat and a trailing 
gown had really stepped out of the closet. 

“ The moon was shining right where she stood. 
I saw her just as plainly as I could see you when 
you sat up in bed,” Sylvia declared. But both 
the girls agreed that it would be best not to say 
anything about “ Lady Caroline ” until they had 
told Flora. 

After breakfast Mammy came to tell the vis- 
itors that Flora was ready to see them. 

“ But jus’ for a little while,” she added, as she 
opened the door of Flora’s chamber. 

Flora was bolstered up in bed, and had on a 
dainty dressing-gown of pink muslin tied with 
white ribbons. But there was a bandage about 
her right wrist, and a soft strip of cotton was 
bound about her head. 

“ Oh, girls ! It’s too bad that I can’t help you 
to have a good time to-day,” she said, “ and all 
because I was so clumsy.” 

Both the girls assured her that it was a good 
time just to be at the Hayes plantation. 

“ Flora! There is a ghost! Just as you said! 
I saw it. Just about midnight,” said Sylvia. 


90 


A YANKEE GIRL 


“Truly!” exclaimed Flora, in rather a faint 
voice. 

“ Yes. And it was Lady Caroline. For it 
wore a big hat, like the one in the picture, and its 
dress trailed all about it,” replied Sylvia. 

“ Then I guess Grace will believe this is a 
haunted house,” said Flora, a little triumphantly. 

“ I didn’t see it,” said Grace. “And, truly, I 
believe Sylvia just dreamed it.” 

Flora sat up in bed suddenly. 

“ Sylvia did not dream it. I know she saw it,” 
she declared. 

“ Well, perhaps so. But I didn’t,” and Grace 
laughed good-naturedly; but Flora turned her 
face from them and began to cry. 

“After my being hurt, and ” she sobbed, 

but stopped quickly. 

Sylvia and Grace looked at each other in 
amazement. 

“ It’s because she is ill. And she’s disap- 
pointed because you didn’t see Lady Caroline,” 
Sylvia whispered. In a moment Flora looked 
up with a little smile. 

“ I am so silly,” she said. “ You must forgive 
me. But I’m sure Sylvia did see ” 

“I begin to think she did,” Grace owned laugh- 


AT FORT SUMTER 


91 


ingly. She had happened to look toward the 
open closet and had seen certain things which 
made her quite ready to own that Flora might be 
right. But she was rather serious and silent for 
the rest of the visit. Before they left Flora’s 
room Flora asked Sylvia not to tell anyone that 
she had seen a “ ghost.” “ You see, the boys 
would laugh, and no one but me really believes 
the house is haunted,” she explained. 

Of course Sylvia promised, but she was puz- 
zled by Flora’s request. 

It was decided that Ralph and Philip should 
ride back to Charleston that afternoon when 
Uncle Chris drove the little visitors home, and 
that Flora should stay at the plantation with her 
mother for a day or two. 

Sylvia had enjoyed her visit. She had even 
enjoyed seeing the “ ghost,” but she was sorry 
that she could not tell her mother and father of 
the great adventure. Nevertheless she was glad 
when the carriage stopped in front of her own 
home, and she saw Estralla, smiling and happy in 
the pink gingham dress, waiting to welcome her. 

“ Sylvia, I’m coming over to-night. I’ve got 
something to tell you,” Grace said, as the two 
friends stood for a moment at Sylvia’s gate, after 


92 


A YANKEE GIRL 

they had thanked Uncle Chris, and said good-bye 
to Sylvia’s brothers. 

Grace was so serious that Sylvia wondered 
what it could be. “ It isn’t that Estralla is going 
to be sold right away, is it? ” she asked anxiously. 

“ No. I’ll tell you after supper,” Grace re- 
sponded and ran on to her own home. 

Sylvia’s mother and father were interested to 
hear all that she had to tell them about the corn- 
shucking, and of the wonderful cake with its pal- 
metto flag. She told them about poor Dinkie, 
and what Philip had said : that Dinkie should not 
be sold away from her children, or whipped. 

Mr. Fulton seemed greatly pleased with Syl- 
via’s account of her visit. He said Philip was a 
fine boy, and that there were many like him in 
South Carolina. 

They had just finished supper when Grace ap- 
peared, and the two little girls went up to Syl- 
via’s room. 

“What is it, Grace?” Sylvia asked eagerly. 
“ I can’t think what you want to tell me that 
makes you look so sober.” 

Grace looked all about the room and then 
closed the door, not seeing a little figure crouch- 
ing in a shadowy corner. 


AT FORT SUMTER 


93 


“ I wouldn’t want anybody else to hear. It’s 
about the ghost,” she whispered. “ I know all 
about it. It was Flora herself! Yes, it was!” 
she continued quickly. “ When we were in her 
room this morning I saw a big hat with a long 
feather on it, hanging on her closet door, and a 
long blue skirt, one of her mother’s. They 
weren’t there yesterday, for the door was open, 
just as it was to-day.” 

“ Well, what of that? ” asked Sylvia. 

“Oh, Sylvia! Can’t you see?” Grace asked 
impatiently. “ Flora dressed up in her mother’s 
things, and then came up the stairs to our room. 
She was determined to make us think she had a 
truly ghost in her house. Then when you called 
out, she got frightened and stumbled on the 
stairs. You know we heard someone fall and 
cry out. Of course it was Flora. Nobody 
seems to know how she got hurt. The minute I 
saw that plumed hat I knew just the trick she had 
played. I knew there wasn’t a ghost,” Grace 
concluded triumphantly. 

Sylvia felt almost disappointed that it had not 
really been “Lady Caroline.” She wondered 
why Flora had wanted to deceive them. 

“ I don’t think it was fair,” she said slowly. 


94 


A YANKEE GIRL 


“ Of course it wasn’t fair. I wouldn’t have 
believed that a Charleston girl would do such a 
mean trick,” declared Grace. “ Of course, as we 
were her company, we can’t let her know that we 
have found her out.” 

“ Perhaps she meant to tell us, anyway,” sug- 
gested Sylvia hopefully. “ I’m sure she did. 
She thought it would make us laugh.” 

“ Well, then why didn’t she? ” asked Grace. 

Sylvia’s face clouded; she could not answer this 
question, but she was sure that Flora had not 
meant to frighten or really deceive them, and she 
wanted to defend her absent friend. 

“ Well, Grace, we know Flora wouldn’t do 
anything mean. And, you see, she got hurt, and 
so she’s just waiting to get well before she tells 
us of the joke. You wait and see. Flora will 
tell us just as soon as we see her again.” 

There was a little note of entreaty in Sylvia’s 
voice, as if she were pleading with Grace not to 
blame Flora. 

“ I know one thing, Sylvia. You wouldn’t do 
anything mean, if you are a Yankee,” Grace de- 
clared warmly. “ What’s that noise? ” she added 
quickly. 

The room was shadowy in the gathering twi- 


AT FORT SUMTER 


95 


light, and the two little girls had been sitting near 
the window. As Grace spoke they both turned 
quickly, for there was a sudden noise of an over- 
turned chair in the further corner of the room, 
and they could see a dark figure sprawling on the 
floor. 

Before Sylvia could speak she heard the little 
wailing cry which Estralla always gave when in 
trouble, and then: “Don’t be skeered, Missy! 
It’s nobuddy. I j.es’ fell over your doll- 
ladies.” 

“ Oh, Estralla! You haven’t broken my dolls ! 
What were you up here for, anyway? ” and Syl- 
via quite forgot all her plans to rescue Estralla as 
she ran toward her. 

The “ doll-ladies,” as the little darky girl had 
always called Sylvia’s two china dolls which sat 
in two small chairs in front of a doll’s table in one 
corner of the room, were both sprawling on the 
floor, their chairs upset, and the little table with 
its tiny tea-set overturned. Grace lit the candles 
on Sylvia’s bureau, while Sylvia picked up her 
treasured dolls, “ Molly ” and “ Polly,” which 
her Grandmother Fulton had sent her on her last 
birthday. 

“ I wuz up here, jest a-sittin’ an’ a-lookin’ at 


96 


A YANKEE GIRL 


’em, Missy,” wailed Estralla. “ I never layed 
hand on ’em. An’ when you an’ Missy Grace 
comes in I da’sent move. An’ then when I does 
move I tumbles over. I ’spec’ now I’ll get 
whipped.” 

“ Keep still, Estralla. You know you won’t 
get whipped,” replied Sylvia, finding that Molly 
and Polly had not been hurt by their fall, and 
that none of the little dishes were broken. 

“ You ought to tell her mother to whip her. 
She’s no business up here,” said Grace. 

“ Don’t, Grace! ” Sylvia exclaimed. “ We 
don’t get whipped every time we make a mistake. 
And Estralla hasn’t anything of her own. Just 
think, your Uncle Robert can sell her away from 
her own mother. You said yourself that you 
didn’t think that was fair.” 

Estralki had scrambled to her feet and now 
stood looking at the little white girls with a half- 
frightened look in her big eyes. 

“ Oh, Missy! I ain’t gwine to be sold, be I? ” 
she whispered. 

Sylvia put her arm around Estralla’s shoul- 
ders. “No!” she said, “you shall not be sold. 
Now, don’t look so frightened. We will have a 
tea-party for Molly and Polly, and you shall wait 


97 


AT FORT SUMTER 

on them. Run down and ask your mother to 
give us some little cakes.” 

Estralla was off in an instant, and while she 
was away Sylvia and Grace spread the little 
table, brought cushions from the window-seats 
and advised Molly and Polly to forgive the dis- 
turbance. 

When Mrs. Fulton came up-stairs a little later 
to tell Grace that her black Mammy had come to 
take her home she found three very happy little 
girls. Sylvia and Grace were being entertained 
at tea by Misses Molly and Polly, while Estralla 
with shining eyes and a wide smile carried tiny 
cups and little cakes to the guests, and chuckled 
delightedly over the clever things which Sylvia 
and Grace declared Molly and Polly had said. 

“A candle-light tea-party,” exclaimed Mrs. 
Fulton, as she came into the room and smiled 
down on the happy group. 

“ Perhaps Flora will own up,” Grace said, as 
the two girls followed Mrs. Fulton down the 
stairs. “Anyway, you are mighty fair about it, 
and you’re good to that stupid little darky.” 

“ Oh, Estralla isn’t stupid. Not a bit,” re- 
plied Sylvia laughingly. 

Estralla, who was carefully putting the little 


98 


A YANKEE GIRL 


table in order, heard Sylvia’s defense of her, and 
for a moment she stood very straight, holding one 
of the tiny cups in each hand. 

“ I jes’ loves Missy Sylvia, I do. I jes’ wish 
ez how I could do somethin’ so she’d know how I 
loves her,” and two big tears rolled down the 
black cheeks of the little slave girl who had known 
so little of kindness or of joy. 


CHAPTER IX 


TROUBLESOME WORDS 

It was a week after Sylvia’s visit to the Hayes 
plantation before Flora returned to school. A 
heavy rain had made the roads nearly impassable, 
and a little scar on Flora’s forehead reminded 
Sylvia and Grace of her unlucky tumble. On 
Flora’s first appearance at school Sylvia was con- 
fident that she would at once confess her part in 
“ Lady Caroline’s ” appearance, and at recess she 
and Grace were eager to walk with Flora. It 
was now the first of November, but the air was 
warm and the garden had many blossoming 
plants and shrubs. 

Flora said that she was glad to be back at 
school. She told the girls that her father had re- 
turned from a northern trip and that he had given 
Dinkie and her children to Philip. 

“ Phil teased him so that Father was tired of 
hearing him. He said Phil was a regular aboli- 
tionist,” Flora explained with her pretty smile. 

99 


100 


A YANKEE GIRL 

“ What’s an abbylitionzist? ” asked Grace. 

“ Ask Sylvia. I heard my father say that 
Sylvia’s father was one,” answered Flora. 

“ I don’t know. But my father is a Congre-^ 
gationalist,” replied Sylvia. “ Perhaps that’s 
what your father meant.” 

“ No, it’s something about not believing in 
having slaves, I know that much,” said Flora. 

“ Who would do our work then? ” questioned 
Grace. 

Flora could not answer this question. Sylvia 
resolved to ask Miss Rosalie at question time the 
meaning of this new word. If her father and 
Philip Hayes were “ abolitionists,” she was quite 
sure the word meant something very brave and 
fine. 

“ What about Miss Flora and her ghost now? ” 
Grace found a chance to whisper, as they entered 
the schoolroom. “ She doesn’t mean to own up.” 

“ Wait, she will,” was Sylvia’s response as she 
took her seat. 

When question time came Sylvia was ready. 
She stood up smiling and eager, and Miss Rosalie 
smiled back. She had grown fond of her little 
pupil from Boston, and thought to herself that 
Sylvia was really becoming almost like a little 


AT FORT SUMTER 101 

southern girl in her graceful ways and pleasant 
smile. 

“ What is your question, Sylvia? ” she asked. 

“ If you please, Miss Rosalie, what does ‘ abo- 
litionist ’ mean? ” 

Some of the older girls exchanged startled 
looks, and May Bailey barely restrained a laugh. 
Probably Grace and Sylvia were the only girls 
in school who had not heard the word used as a 
term of reproach against the people of the north- 
ern states who wished to do away with slavery. 

Miss Rosalie’s smile faded, but she responded 
without a moment’s hesitation: 

“ Why, an ‘ abolitionist ’ is a person who 
wishes to destroy some law or custom.” 

There was a little murmur among the other 
pupils, but Grace and Sylvia looked at each other 
with puzzled eyes. Philip did not wish to “ des- 
troy ” anything, thought Sylvia ; he only wanted 
to protect Dinkie. And she was sure that her 
father would not destroy anything, unless it was 
something which would harm people. So it was 
a puzzled Sylvia who came home from school that 
day. She decided that her father could answer a 
question much better than Miss Rosalie, and re- 
solved to ask him the meaning of the word. 


102 


A YANKEE GIRL 

“ Come up-stairs, Estralla,” she said, finding 
the little negro girl at the gate as usual waiting 
for her. “ I have some things my mother said I 
could give you.’’ 

Estralla followed happily. She didn’t care 
very much what it might be that Missy Sylvia 
would give her, it was delight enough for Estralla 
to follow after her. But when the little girl saw 
the things spread out on Sylvia’s bed she ex- 
claimed aloud: 

“ Does you mean, Missy, dat I’se to pick out 
somethin’? Well, then I chooses the shoes. I 
never had no shoes.” 

“ They are all for you,” said Sylvia, lifting up 
a pretty blue cape and holding it toward Es- 
tralla. 

“ My lan’ ! ” whispered Estralla. 

There was a dress of blue delaine with tiny 
white dots, two pretty white aprons, the blue 
cape, and shoes and stockings, beside some of 
Sylvia’s part-worn underwear. She had begged 
her mother to let her give the little darky these 
things, and Mrs. Fulton had been glad that her 
little daughter wished to do so. 

“ Estralla has never had anything ” Sylvia had 
urged, “ and she is always afraid of something. 


AT FORT SUMTER 103 

Of being whipped or sold. And I would like to 
see her have clothes like other girls.” 

Estralla wanted to try on the shoes at once, 
and when she found that they fitted very com- 
fortably, she chuckled and laughed with delight. 
Neither of the girls heard a rap at the door, and 
both were surprised when Aunt Connie, who had 
opened the door and stood waiting, exclaimed: 

“ Fo’ Ian’s sake ! W’at you lettin’ that darky 
dress up in you’ clo’es fer, Missy Sylvia? ” 

“ They are her own clothes now, Aunt Con- 
nie,” Sylvia explained. “ My mother said I 
might give them to her.” 

For a moment the negro woman stood silent. 
Then she put her hands up to her face and began 
to cry, very quietly. Estralla’s laughter van- 
ished. She wondered if her mammy was going 
to tell her that she could not keep the things. 

“ ’Scusie, Missy,” muttered Aunt Connie; 
“ you’se an angel to my po’ little gal. An’ I’se 
’bliged to you. But I’se feared the chile won’t 
wear ’em long. Massa Robert Waite’s man sez 
he’s gwine sell her off right soon.” 

“ He cyan’t do no sech thing. Missy Sylvia 
won’t let him,” declared Estralla, who was per- 
fectly sure that “ Missy Sylvia ” could do what- 


104 A YANKEE GIRL 

ever she wished. With a pair of shoes on her 
feet and the blue cape over her shoulders Estralla 
had more courage. Sylvia’s kindness had given 
the little colored girl a hope of happier days. 

“Aunt Connie, I’ll do all I can for Estralla,” 
said Sylvia. 

“ Will you, Missy? Then ask yo’ pa not to let 
Estralla be sold,” pleaded Aunt Connie. 

Sylvia promised, and Aunt Connie went off 
smilingly. But Sylvia wondered if her father 
could prevent Mr. Robert Waite from selling the 
negro girl. 

“ Estralla,” she said very soberly, “ I have 
promised that you shall not be sold, and I will ask 
my father. But if he cannot do anything, we 
will have to do something ourselves. Will you 
do whatever I tell you? ” 

“ Oh, yas indeed, Missy,” Estralla answered 
eagerly. 

“ Well, I’ll ask Father to-night. And to-mor- 
row morning you bring up my hot water, and I’ll 
tell you what he says. But don’t be frightened, 
anyway,” said Sylvia. 

“ I ain’t skeered like I used to be,” responded 
Estralla. “ Yo’ see, Missy, I feels jes’ as if you 
was my true fr’en’.” 


AT FORT SUMTER 105 

“ Fll try to be,” Sylvia promised. 

Estralla went off happy with her new posses- 
sions, and Sylvia turned to the window, and 
looked off across the beautiful harbor toward the 
forts. She had heard her father say, that very 
noon, that South Carolina would fight to keep its 
slaves, and she wondered if the soldiers in Fort 
Moultrie would not fight to set the black people 
free. She remembered that her father had said 
that Fort Sumter was the property of the United 
States; and, for some reason which she could not 
explain even to herself, she was sure that Estralla 
would be safe there. If Mr. Robert Waite really 
meant to sell her, Sylvia again resolved to find 
some way to get the little slave girl to Fort 
Sumter. 

When Estralla brought the hot water the next 
morning she found a very sober little mistress. 
For Sylvia’s father had not only explained the 
meaning of the word “ abolitionist ” as being the 
name the southerners had given to the men who 
were determined that slavery of other men, what- 
ever their color, should end, but he had told his 
little daughter that he could do nothing to pre- 
vent the sale of the little colored girl, and that not 
even at Fort Sumter would she be safe. Sylvia 


106 


A YANKEE GIRL 


had not gone to sleep very early. She lay awake 
thinking of Estralla. “ Suppose somebody could 
sell me away from my mother,” she thought, 
ready to cry even at such a possibility. Sylvia 
knew that Aunt Connie had been whipped be- 
cause she had rebelled against parting with her 
older children, and there was no Philip to take 
Aunt Connie’s part. 

“ Mornin’, Missy,” said Estralla, coming into 
the room, and setting down the pitcher of hot 
water very carefully. She had on the pink ging- 
ham with one of the white aprons, and as she 
stood smiling and neat at the foot of Sylvia’s bed, 
she looked very different from the clumsy little 
darky who had tumbled into the room a few 
weeks ago. Sylvia smiled back. “ Estralla, I 
want you to be sure to come up-stairs to-night 
after the house is all quiet. Don’t tell your 
mother, or anybody,” she said very soberly. 

“All right, Missy,” agreed Estralla, sure that 
whatever Missy Sylvia asked was right. 

Sylvia said nothing more, but dressed and went 
down to breakfast. She heard her father say 
that he feared that South Carolina would secede 
from the United States, and she repeated the 
word aloud: “‘Secede’? What does that 


AT FORT SUMTER 107 

mean? ” She began to think the world was full 
of difficult words. 

“ In this case it means that the State of South 
Carolina wishes to give up her rights as one of the 
States of the Union,” Mr. Fulton explained, 
“ but we hope she will give up slavery instead,” 
he concluded. 

Grace was at the gate as Sylvia came out ready 
for school, and called out a gay greeting. 

“ What are you so sober about, Sylvia? ” she 
asked as they walked on together. 


CHAPTER X 


THE PALMETTO FLAG 

When Sylvia had told Estralla to come to her 
room that night, she had determined to find a 
way to get the little negro to a place of safety. 
Sylvia did not know that a negro was, in those 
far-off days, the property of his master as much 
as a horse or a dog, and that wherever the negro 
might go his master could claim him and punish 
him for trying to escape. Any person aiding a 
slave to escape could also be punished by law. i 

All Sylvia thought of was to have Estralla 
protected, and she was quite sure that a United 
States fort could protect one little negro girl. 
Nevertheless she was troubled and worried as to 
how she could carry out her plan; but she re- 
solved not to tell Grace. 

As usual Flora was waiting at Miss Patten’s 
gate for her friends. She was wearing a pretty 
turban hat, and pinned in front was a fine blue 
cockade, to which Flora pointed and said: “Look, 
108 



( ( 


!” 


RISE AND SALUTE THIS FLAG 































AT FORT SUMTER 


109 


girls. This is the Secession Cockade. Ralph 
gave it to me,” she explained; “ all loyal Caro- 
linians ought to wear it, Ralph says.” 

“ What does it mean to wear one? ” asked 
Sylvia. 

“ Oh, it means that you believe South Caro- 
lina has a right to keep its slaves, and sell them, 
of course; and if the United States interferes, 
why, Carolinians will teach them a lesson,” Flora 
explained grandly, repeating the explanation her 
father had given her that very morning. 

Many of the other girls wore blue cockades, 
and a palmetto flag was hung behind Miss 
Rosalie’s desk. 

“ Young ladies,” said Miss Rosalie, “ I have 
hung South Carolina’s flag where you can all see 
it. You all know that a flag is an emblem. Our 
flag means the glory of our past and the hope of 
the future. I will ask you all to rise and salute 
this flag! ” 

The little girls all stood, and each raised her 
right hand. All but Sylvia. Flushed and un- 
happy, with downcast eyes, she kept her seat. 
This was not the “ Stars and Stripes,” the flag 
she had been taught to love and honor. She 
knew that the palmetto flag stood for slavery. 


110 


A YANKEE GIRL 


Sylvia did not know what Miss Rosalie would 
say to her, and, even worse than her teacher’s 
disapproval, she was sure that her schoolmates, 
perhaps even Grace and Flora, would dislike and 
blame her for not saluting their flag. 

But she was soon to realize just how serious 
was her failure to salute the palmetto flag. Miss 
Rosalie came down the aisle and laid a note on 
Sylvia’s desk. 

It was very brief: “ You may go home at re- 
cess. Take your books and go quietly without a 
word to any of the other pupils. You may tell 
your parents that I do not care to have you as a 
pupil for another day.” 

As Sylvia^ read these words the tears sprang 
to her eyes. It was all she could do not to sob 
aloud. She dared not look at the other girls. 
She held a book before her face, and only hoped 
that she could keep back the tears until recess- 
time. 

But not for a moment did Sylvia wish that she 
had saluted a flag which stood for the protection 
of slavery. Miss Rosalie had said that a flag 
was an “ emblem,” and even in her unhappiness 
Sylvia knew that the emblem of the United 
States stood for justice and liberty. 


AT FORT SUMTER 


111 


When the hour of recess came Sylvia had 
her books neatly strapped, and, as Miss Rosalie 
had directed, she left the room quietly without 
one word to any of the other girls. She had 
nearly reached the gate when she heard steps 
close behind her and Grace’s voice calling: 
“ Sylvia, Sylvia, dear,” and Grace’s arm was 
about her. “ It’s a mean shame,” declared the 
warm-hearted little southern girl, “ and flag or 
no flag, I’m your true friend.” 

“ Grace! Grace! ” called Miss Rosalie, and be- 
fore Sylvia could respond her loyal playmate had 
turned obediently back to the house. 

Sylvia stepped out on the street, her eyes a 
little blurred by tears, but greatly comforted by 
Grace’s assuring words of friendship. 

She did not want to go home and tell her 
mother what had happened, and show her Miss 
Patten’s note, for she knew that her mother 
would be troubled and unhappy. 

Suddenly she decided to go to her father’s 
warehouse and tell him, and go home with him 
at noon. She was sure her father would think 
she had done right. 

She turned and walked quickly down King 
Street, and in a short time she was near the 


112 


A YANKEE GIRL 


wharves and could see the long building where 
her father stored the cotton he purchased from 
the planters. The wharves were piled high with 
boxes and bales, and there were small boats com- 
ing in to the wharves, and others making ready 
to depart. 

Sylvia could see her father’s boat close to the 
wharf near the warehouse. “ I wish I could 
take that boat and carry Estralla off to Fort 
Sumter,” she thought. 

A good-natured negro led her to Mr. Fulton’s 
office, and before her father could say a word 
Sylvia was in the midst of her story. She told 
of the blue cockades that the other girls wore, of 
the palmetto flag, and of her failure to salute it, 
and handed him Miss Patten’s note. 

Mr. Fulton looked serious and troubled as he 
listened to his little girl’s story. Then he lifted 
her to his knee, took off her pretty hat, and 
said: 

“ Too bad, dear child! But you did right. A 
little Yankee girl must be loyal to the Stars and 
Stripes. I am glad you came and told me.” 

For a moment it seemed to Sylvia that her 
father had forgotten all about her. He was look- 
ing straight out of the window. 


AT FORT SUMTER 113 

While he had not forgotten his little girl he 
was thinking that Charleston people must be 
quite ready to take the serious step of urging 
their State to declare her secession from the 
United States, and her right to buy and sell 
human beings as slaves. 

He wished that the United States officers at 
Fort Moultrie could realize that at any time 
Charleston men might seize Fort Sumter, where 
there were but few soldiers, and he said aloud: 
“ I ought to warn them.” 

Sylvia wondered for a moment what her father 
could mean, but he said quickly: “Jump down 
and put on your hat. I’m going to sail down to 
Fort Moultrie and have a talk with my good 
friends there, and you can come with me.” 

At this good news Sylvia forgot all her 
troubles. A sail across the harbor with her 
father was the most delightful thing that she 
could imagine. And she held fast to his hand, 
smiling happily, as they walked down the wharf 
where the boat was fastened. 

Mr. Fulton was beginning to find his position 
as a northern man in Charleston rather uncom- 
fortable. Many of his southern friends firmly 
believed that the northern men had no right to 


114 


A YANKEE GIRL 

tell them that slavery was wrong and must cease. 
He wished to protect his business interests, or he 
would have returned to Boston; for it was diffi- 
cult for him not to declare his own patriotic feel- 
ing that Abraham Lincoln, who had just been 
elected President of the United States, would 
never permit slavery to continue. 

Mr. Fulton sent a darky with a message to 
Sylvia’s mother that he was taking the little girl 
for a sail to the forts, and in a short time they 
were on board the Butterfly , as Sylvia had named 
the white sloop, and were going swiftly down 
the harbor. 

“ May I steer? ” asked Sylvia, and Mr. Fulton 
smilingly agreed. He was very proud of his 
little daughter’s ability to sail a boat, and al- 
though he watched her shape the boat’s course, 
and was ready to give her any needed assistance, 
he was sure that he could trust her. 

As they sailed past Fort Sumter Sylvia could 
see men at work repairing the fortifications. 
Over both forts waved the Stars and Stripes. 

She made a skilful landing at Fort Moultrie, 
greatly to the admiration of the sentry on guard. 
Mr. Fulton and Sylvia went directly to the of- 
ficers’ quarters, which were in the rear of the fort, 


AT FORT SUMTER 


11 5 


and where Mrs. Carleton gave Sylvia a warm 
welcome. She asked the little girl about her 
school and Sylvia told her what had happened 
that morning. 

“ I am not surprised,” said Captain Carleton. 
“ I expect any day that Charleston men will take 
Fort Sumter, and fly the palmetto flag, instead 
of the Stars and Stripes. If Major Anderson 
had his way we would have a stronger force in 
Fort Sumter, and that is greatly needed.” 

Major Anderson was the officer in command 
at Fort Moultrie. He was a southern man, but 
a true and loyal officer of the United States. 

When Captain Carleton and Mr. Fulton went 
out Mrs. Carleton asked Sylvia if she was sorry 
to leave the school, and if she liked her school- 
mates. Sylvia was eager to tell her of all the 
good times she had enjoyed with Grace and 
Flora, and declared that they were her true 
friends. Then she told Mrs. Carleton about 
Estralla, and of her resolve that the little darky 
girl should not be separated from Aunt Connie. 

“ Your best plan, then, will be to go and see 
Mr. Robert Waite and ask him. He is a kind- 
hearted man, and perhaps he will promise you to 
let the child stay with her mother. I hope it will 


116 


A YANKEE GIRL 

not be long now before all the slaves will be set 
free,” said Mrs. Carleton. 

Before Sylvia could respond Captain Carleton 
came hurrying into the room. He had a letter in 
his hand, and asked Sylvia to excuse Mrs. Carle- 
ton for a moment, and they left the room to- 
gether. In a few moments Mrs. Carleton re- 
turned alone, and Sylvia heard Captain Carleton 
say: “ It is worth trying.” 

“ My dear Sylvia, I want you to do something 
for me ; it is not really for me,” she added quickly, 
“ it is for the United States. Something to help 
keep the flag flying over these forts.” 

“ Oh, can I do something like that? ” Sylvia 
asked eagerly. 

“ Yes, my dear. Now, listen carefully. Here 
is a letter which Major Anderson wants delivered 
to a gentleman who will start for Washington to j 
morrow. If anyone from this fort should be 
seen visiting that gentleman he would not be 
allowed to leave Charleston as he plans. If your 
father, even, should call upon him it would create 
suspicion. So I am going to ask you to carry 
this letter to the address written on the envelope, 
and you must give it into his own hands to-night. 
Not even your own father will know that you 


AT FORT SUMTER 


117 


have this letter; so if he should be questioned or 
watched he will be able to deny knowing of its 
existence. Are you willing to undertake it? ” 

“Yes! Yes!” promised Sylvia. “I will 
carry it safely. The gentleman shall have the 
letter to-night,” and she reached out her hand to 
take it. 

But Mrs. Carleton shook her head. “ No, my 
dear, I will pin it safely inside your dress. It 
would not do for you to be seen leaving the fort 
with a letter in your hand.” 


CHAPTER XI 


SYLVIA CARRIES A MESSAGE 

Mrs. Fulton did not seem surprised to hear 
of Sylvia’s dismissal from Miss Patten’s school 
because of her failure to salute the palmetto flag. 
She did not say very much of the occurrence that 
afternoon, when Sylvia returned from the fort, 
for she wanted Sylvia to think as pleasantly as 
possible of her pretty teacher. But she was sur- 
prised that Sylvia herself did not have more to 
say about the affair. 

But Sylvia’s own thoughts were so filled by the 
mysterious letter which was pinned inside her 
dress, with wondering how she could safely de- 
liver it without the knowledge of anyone, that 
she hardly thought of school. For the time she 
had even forgotten Estralla. 

“ What do you say to becoming a teacher your- 
self, Sylvia dear? ” her mother asked, as they sat 
together in the big sunny room which overlooked 
the harbor. 


118 


AT FORT SUMTER 


119 


“ When I grow up? ” asked Sylvia. 

Mrs. Fulton smiled. Sylvia “grown up” 
seemed a long way in the future. 

“ No — that is too far away,” she answered. 
“ I was thinking that perhaps you would like to 
teach Estralla to read and write. You could 
begin to-morrow, if you wished.” 

“Yes, indeed! Mother, you think of every- 
thing,” declared Sylvia. “ Why, that will be 
better than going to school! ” 

“ But we must not let your own studies be 
neglected,” her mother reminded her, “ so after 
you have given Estralla a morning lesson each 
day you and I will study together and keep up 
with Grace and Flora. By the way, Flora was 
here just before you and your father reached 
home; she was very sorry not to see you, and I 
have asked Flora and Grace to come to supper 
to-morrow night.” 

Sylvia began to think that a world without 
school was going to be a very pleasant world after 
all. She was sure that it would be great fun to 
teach Estralla, and to have lessons with her 
mother was even better than reciting to pretty 
Miss Rosalie; and, beside this, her best friends 
were coming to supper the next night, so she had 


120 


A YANKEE GIRL 


many pleasant things to think of, which was ex- 
actly what her mother had planned. Her father 
had said that she might ask Grace to go sailing 
with them in the Butterfly in a day or two; and 
now Sylvia resolved to ask if she might not ask 
Flora as well, and perhaps Estralla could go, too. 
So it was no wonder that she ran up -stairs sing- 
ing: 

4 ‘There’s a good time coming, 

It’s almost here,” — 

greatly to the satisfaction of her father and 
mother, who had feared that she would be very 
unhappy over the school affair. They were sorry 
it had happened, but they could not blame 
Sylvia. 

“ Oh, Missy Sylvia, here I is,” and as Sylvia 
set her candle on the table, Estralla stood smiling 
before her. 

“Oh!” exclaimed Sylvia with such surprise 
that the little darky looked at her wonderingly. 

“ Yo’ tells me to come, an’ here I is,” she re- 
peated. “ You tells me,” and Estralla sniffed 
as if ready to give her usual wails, “ that you’se 
gwine to stop my bein’ sold off from my mammy. 
How you gwine to stop it, Missy? ” 


AT FORT SUMTER 


121 


For a moment Sylvia was tempted to tell 
Estralla that it couldn’t be helped, as long as 
South Carolina believed in slavery. But 
Estralla’s sad eyes and pleading look made her 
resolve again to protect this little slave girl 
against injustice. So she replied quickly: 

“ That is my secret. But don’t you worry. 
Some day, very soon, I shall tell you all about 
it. You know, Estralla, that you need not be 
afraid. And what do you think! I am not go- 
ing to school any more.” 

Estralla’s face had brightened. She was al- 
ways quite ready to smile, but she could not un- 
derstand why Sylvia had wanted her to come so 
mysteriously to her room. 

“And I am going to teach you to read and 
write,” Sylvia added. 

“ Is you, Missy? ” Estralla responded in a 
half-frightened whisper. Now, she thought, she 
knew all about Missy Sylvia’s reasons for the 
secret visit. For very few slave-owners allowed 
anyone to teach the slaves to read and write. 
Estralla knew this, and it seemed a wonderful 
thing that Missy Sylvia proposed. 

“ I’ll tell you all about it to-morrow morning,” 
said Sylvia; “ now run away,” and with a chuckle 


122 


A YANKEE GIRL 


of delight Estralla closed the door softly behind 
her. She had been quite ready to run away with 
Missy Sylvia when she had crept up the stairs 
earlier in the evening. But to stay safely with 
her mammy and learn to read seemed a much 
happier plan to the little darky. If she could 
read and write ! Why, it would be almost as won- 
derful as it would to be a little white girl, she 
thought. 

Now Sylvia realized, as she stood alone in her 
safe, pleasant chamber, that as soon as possible 
she must deliver the letter entrusted to her. If 
it was to go to Washington it must be some mes- 
sage that was of importance to the officers at 
Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter, she thought. 
Perhaps it might even be something that would 
help Carolinians to give up slavery; and then 
Estralla and Aunt Connie, and all the black peo- 
ple she knew and liked, could be safe and have 
homes of their own. 

Sylvia went to the window and peered out. 
The street and garden lay dark and shadowy. 
Now and then a dark figure went along the street. 
The house seemed very quiet. She tiptoed to 
the closet and took out a brown cape. It was 
one which she wore on stormy days, and nearly 


AT FORT SUMTER 


123 


covered her. Then from one of the bureau 
drawers she drew out a long blue silk scarf, and 
twisted it about her head. 

“ I can pull the end over my face, and they’ll 
think I’m a darky,” she thought, resolved if any- 
one spoke to her not to answer. 

She whispered over the name and address on 
the letter. She knew that the street led from 
King Street, and she was sure that she could 
find it. But it was some distance from 
home; it would be late before she could get 
back. 

She blew out her candle, opened her chamber 
door and stood listening. She could not hear a 
sound, and tiptoed cautiously along the hall to 
the stairs. What if the door of her mother’s 
room should open, she thought, terrified at such a 
possibility. What could she say? She had 
promised not to tell of the letter, and what reason 
could she give for creeping out of the house at 
that hour? 

But she reached the lower floor safely, and 
now came the danger of making a noise when 
opening the door. Sylvia grasped the big key 
and turned it slowly. Then she pulled at the 
heavy door, and it swung back easily. She gave 


124 


A YANKEE GIRL 


a long breath of relief as she stepped out on the 
piazza. She left the door ajar, so that she could 
slip in easily on her return. Keeping in the 
shadow of the trees she reached the street, and 
now she felt sure that nothing could prevent her 
from delivering the letter. 

She ran swiftly along, now and then meeting 
someone who glanced wonderingly at the flying 
little figure. She had reached King Street and 
was nearly at the street where she was to turn, 
when suddenly a heavy hand grasped her arm 
and nearly swung her from her feet. 

“ Running off, are you? And wearing your 
mistress’s clothes at that, I’ll warrant,” said a 
gruff voice. “ Wall, now, whose darky are 
you? ” 

Sylvia pulled the silken scarf from her face, 
and even in the glimmer of the dull street-lamp 
under which the man had drawn her he could see 
the auburn hair and blue eyes. But he still kept 
his grasp on her arm. There were slaves who 
were not black, he knew, and “ quality white ” 
girls were not running about Charleston streets 
alone at night. 

“ What is your name? ” he demanded. 

Sylvia looked at him resentfully. “ How dare 


AT FORT SUMTER 125 

you grab me like this?” she demanded. “ Let 
me go.” 

The man released his grasp instantly. No 
darky girl or slave would have spoken like that. 
He vanished as suddenly as he had appeared, 
more frightened now than Sylvia herself. 

For an instant Sylvia stood quite still. She 
felt ready to cry, and now walked more slowly. 
For the first time she realized something of what 
it must be to be a colored girl. 

“ If I had been Estralla he could have dragged 
me off and had me whipped,” she thought. “ Oh, 
I must get Mr. Robert Waite to let Estralla stay 
safe with us.” 

She was now near her destination, which proved 
to be a large house right on the street. She 
knocked at the door several times before it was 
opened. Then she found herself looking up at a 
tall man whose white hair and kindly smile gave 
her confidence. 

“ Well, little girl, whom do you wish to see? ” 
he asked pleasantly. 

“ I have a message, I ” began Sylvia, her 

voice trembling a little. “ Are you Mr. 
Doane? ” 

“ Yes; come in,” and he held the door open for 


126 A YANKEE GIRL 

her to enter, and then closed and fastened it be- 
hind them. 

Sylvia drew the letter from its hiding-place 
and handed it to him, and Mr. Doane slipped it 
into his pocket. 

“ Come in, my child, and rest a moment; you 
are out of breath,” he said, leading the way to a 
small room at the end of the narrow hall. 

Sylvia was glad to sit down in a low chair 
near the table, while Mr. Doane opened the en- 
velope. She could see that there was another 
letter enclosed, as well as the one which the tall 
man was reading with such interest. 

When he had finished reading the letter he tore 
it into a great many small pieces. Then he put 
the enclosed envelope carefully in an inner 
pocket. 

“ So you brought me this letter from the fort. 
Well, you have done what I hope may prove a 
great service to the Stars and Stripes. I thank 
you,” he said, looking with smiling eyes at the 
tired little figure in the brown cape. 

Then he asked Sylvia her name, and she told 
him that no one, not even her dear mother, knew 
that she had brought the message. Before they 
had finished their talk he had heard all about the 


AT FORT SUMTER 


127 


blue cockades that the girls had worn at Miss 
Patten’s school, and of Sylvia’s refusal to salute 
the palmetto flag. 

“ You see I couldn’t do that, because it would 
mean that I believed that Estralla ought to be a 
slave, and of course I don’t believe such a dread- 
ful thing,” she explained. So then Mr. Doane 
heard all about Estralla and Aunt Connie. 

Sylvia decided that she liked Mr. Doane even 
better than Captain Carleton. And when he 
told her again that by her courage in bringing 
him the message from the fort, and by her silence 
in regard to it, that she had done him a great 
service, as well as a service to those whose only 
wish for South Carolina was that the State 
should free herself from slavery, Sylvia forgot all 
about the long walk through the shadowy streets. 

“ I wish I had someone to send with you to 
see you home safely,” Mr. Doane said, a little 
anxiously, as they stood together in the little 
hallway. “ But I am known here, and I fear 
everything I do is watched. So I must trust that 
you will be safely cared for.” 

Before Sylvia could reply, and say that she 
was not at all afraid to go alone, the outer door 
rattled as if someone were trying to push it open. 


128 


A YANKEE GIRL 


“ You have been followed. Run back to the 
sitting-room,” whispered Mr. Doane. “ I will 
open the door.” 


CHAPTER XII 


ESTRALLA HELPS 

Sylvia,, standing just inside the door of the 
small room, heard the outer door swing open. 
She heard Mr. Doane’s sharp question, and then 
a familiar wail. 

“ Oh! It’s Estralla! ” she exclaimed, and ran 
back to the entry. 

“ It’s Estralla! Oh! I’m so glad! ” she said. 

“ Don’ you be skeered, Missy Sylvia,” said 
Estralla valiantly. “ Dis yere man cyan’t take 
you ofFn sell you.” 

“ All Estralla can think of is that somebody is 
going to be carried off and sold,” Sylvia said, 
turning to Mr. Doane, who stood by looking 
very serious. 

“ How did you know where your little mistress 
was?” he questioned gravely. For if this little 
darky knew of Sylvia’s errand he feared that she 
might tell others, and so Sylvia would have 
brought the message from the fort to little pur- 
129 


130 


A YANKEE GIRL 

pose. The letter, which was now in Mr. Doane’s 
pocket, was to the Secretary of War in Wash- 
ington, asking for permission for Major Ander- 
son to take men to Fort Sumter, before the seces- 
sionists could occupy it. 

“ I follers Missy,” explained Estralla. “An* 
when that man grabs her on King Street, I was 
gwine to chase right home an’ get Massa Fulton, 
but Missy talks brave at him, an’ he lets go of 
her. Oh, Missy! What you doin’ of way off 
here? ” 

At this question Mr. Doane smiled, realizing 
that the little negro girl had no knowledge of the 
message which Sylvia had delivered. 

“ Well, Estralla, suppose Miss Sylvia came to 
try and help give you your freedom? ” he asked. 

“An’ my mammy? ” demanded Estralla 
eagerly. 

“ Why, of course,” Mr. Doane replied. “ For 
anything that helps to convince South Carolina 
that she is wrong will help to free the slaves,” he 
added, turning to Sylvia. 

“ Now, Estralla, if you love Miss Sylvia, if 
you want to stay with your mammy, you must 
never tell of her visit here to-night. Remem- 
ber! ” and Mr. Doane’s voice was very stern. 


AT FORT SUMTER 


131 


“ Estralla won’t tell,” Sylvia declared confi- 
dently; “ and I am glad she came to go home 
with me.” 

“ Shuah I’ll do jes’ what Missy wants me to,” 
said the little darky. 

“ Try to let Mrs. Carleton know that I re- 
ceived the letter, and that I hope to reach Wash- 
ington safely,” said Mr. Doane, as he bade Sylvia 
good-night. 

As the door closed behind them Estralla 
clasped Sylvia’s hand. 

“ W’at dat clock say? ” she asked; for one of 
the city clocks was striking the hour. 

“ It’s twelve o’clock,” answered Sylvia. 

“ Oh! My lan’, Missy! Dat’s a terrible on- 
lucky time fer us to be out,” whispered Estralla. 
“ Dat’s de time w’en witch folks comes a-dancin’ 
an’ a-prancin’ ’roun’ and takes off chilluns.” 

Sylvia knew that all the negroes believed in 
witches and all sorts of impossible tales, so 
Estralla’s words did not at all frighten her, but 
she did wish that she was safe in her own home. 
The streets were now dark and silent, and black 
shadows seemed to lurk at every corner as, hand 
in hand, Estralla and Sylvia ran swiftly along. 

“ I tells you, Missy, dat it’s jes’ lucky I comes 


132 


A YANKEE GIRL 

after you, cos’ witch-folks, w’at comes floatin’ 
’roun’ ’bout dis hour of de night, dey ain’t gwine 
to tech us ; cos’ when dey’s two folks holdin’ each 
other hands tight, jes’ like we is, dey don’t dast 
to tech us,” said Estralla. 

“ Where were you, Estralla, when I came 
down-stairs?” Sylvia asked. 

“ I was jes’ a-takin’ a little sleep on de big rug 
side of your door. Missy. I’se been a-sleepin’ 
dere dis long time. My mammy lets me. An’ 
when you opens de door I mos’ calls out, but 
didn’t. I jes’ stan’s up quick, so’s you nebber 
know I was thar,” and Estralla chuckled happily. 

Sylvia wondered to herself why Estralla 
should choose such a hard bed. Then, suddenly, 
she realized all Estralla’s devotion. That the 
little negro girl had slept there to be near her 
“ fr’en’.” She remembered the first time that 
she had ever seen Estralla, on the morning when 
she had tumbled in to Sylvia’s room and broken 
the big pitcher, and that even then Estralla had 
been ready to confess and take the whipping that 
she was sure would follow, rather than let Sylvia 
be blamed. She recalled Estralla’s effort to 
rescue her at Fort Sumter on the day Sylvia had 
run away from Miss Patten’s school; and she 


AT FORT SUMTER 


138 


remembered that it was Estralla who had told 
Miss Patten the real reason, and so saved her 
from further trouble. 

“ Estralla, you have been my true friend,” she 
declared, “ and I am going to remember it al- 
ways. I am going to ask my mother to put a 
nice little bed for you in your mammy’s cabin.” 

“ Don’ yo’ do that, Missy. I likes sleepin’ on 
de rug,” pleaded Estralla. 

“ Hush, we must creep in without making any 
noise,” responded Sylvia, in a whisper, for they 
were now directly in front of Sylvia’s home. 

Noiselessly Estralla led the way. 

“ Oh, Missy ! de door is shut fas’,” she whis- 
pered, as she endeavored to push it open. 

“ But it can’t be shut,” Sylvia answered. 

Both the little girls pushed against it, but the 
door stood fast. 

“ Oh! What will we do? ” half sobbed Sylvia, 
who was now very tired, and almost too sleepy to 
think of anything. 

“ We cyan’t get in de back door. My mammy 
she’d wake up if a rabbit run twixt her cabin an’ 
de kitchen,” Estralla whispered back. “ I ’spec’s 
I’ll hev’ to climb up to de winder ober de porch, 
and comes down and let you in.” 


134 


A YANKEE GIRL 


“ Oh! Can you, Estralla? ” 

Sylvia’s voice was very near to tears. She had 
forgotten all about the importance of the message 
she had safely delivered. All she wanted now 
was to be inside this dear safe house where her 
mother and father were sleeping, not knowing 
that their little girl, cold and sleepy, was shut 
out. 

“ I ’spec’s I can,” Estralla answered. “ You 
jes’ stay quiet, an’ in ’bout four shakes of a lamb’s 
tail I’se gwine to open de door, an’ in yo’ walks.” 

There was a little scrambling noise among the 
stout vines which ran up the pillars of the porch 
as Estralla started to carry out her plan. A cat, 
or a fluttering bird, would have hardly made 
more commotion. Sylvia listened eagerly. Sup- 
pose the porch window was fastened? she thought 
fearfully. It seemed a very long time before the 
front door opened, and Estralla reached out and 
clutched at the brown cape. 

Noiselessly they crept up the stairs, Estralla 
leading the way. It was she who opened the 
door of Sylvia’s room, and then with a whispered 
“ Yo’se all right now, Missy,” closed it behind 
her. 

Sylvia hung up the brown cape in the closet, 


AT FORT SUMTER 


135 


and slipped off her dress. She was soon in bed 
and fast asleep, and it was late the next morn- 
ing before she awoke — so late that her father 
had breakfasted and gone to his warehouse; 
Estralla had been sent on an errand, and Mrs. 
Fulton decided that Sylvia should have a holiday. 

“ You seem tired, dear child,” she said a little 
anxiously, as Sylvia said that she did not want to 
go to walk; that she had rather sit still. 

“ I guess I am tired,” acknowledged the little 
girl, and was quite content to sit by the window 
with a story-book, instead of giving Estralla a 
lesson. 

“ If it had not been for Estralla I don’t know 
what would have happened to me last night,” she 
thought. She wondered who had closed and 
fastened the front door, but dared not ask. 

Grace and Flora were to come early that after- 
noon, as soon after school as possible, and Flora 
had sent Sylvia a note that she would bring her 
lace-work and give her a lesson. By noon 
Sylvia felt rested, and was looking eagerly for- 
ward to her friends’ visit. She began to feel that 
she was a very fortunate little girl to have had 
the chance to do something that might help, as 
Mr. Doane had said, to give the black people 


136 


A YANKEE GIRL 


their freedom. She only wished that she could 
tell her mother and father of the midnight 
journey. 

“ But I will ask Mrs. Carleton the next time I 
go to the fort to let me tell Mother,” she resolved. 


CHAPTER XIII 


A HAPPY AFTERNOON 

Grace was the first to arrive, and she declared 
that she wished that she was in Sylvia’s place and 
need not go to school another day. 

The two little friends stood at the window 
watching for Flora, and it was not long before 
they saw her coming up the walk, closely fol- 
lowed by her black “ Mammy,” who was carrying- 
two baskets. One of these seemed very heavy. 

“ What can be in Mammy’s basket, I won- 
der? ” said Grace. “And, look, Sylvia! Flora 
isn’t wearing the blue cockade! That’s because 
she is coming to visit you. She had it on at 
school this morning.” 

Flora wore the same pretty velvet turban 
which she had worn on Sylvia’s last day at school. 
She had on a cape of garnet-colored velvet, and 
as she came running into the room Sylvia looked 
at her with admiring eyes. 

“You do look so pretty, Flora! And I am 
137 


138 


A YANKEE GIRL 


so glad to see you. Come up-stairs to my room 
and take off your things.” 

“ It isn’t half the fun going to school now that 
you don’t come, Sylvia,” responded Flora, as the 
three friends went up the broad staircase to- 
gether. “ Mammy,” with her baskets, followed 
them, and when she had helped her little mistress 
lay aside her cape and hat, Flora said: 

“You can go home now, Mammy. And my 
mother will tell you when to come after me.” 

“ Yas, Missy,” responded the old colored 
woman, and with a curtsey to each of the little 
girls she left the room. 

“ What makes your mammy look so sober, 
Flora? ” questioned Grace. “ She is usually all 
smiles; but to-day she hasn’t a word to say for 
herself.” 

“ Oh, the darkies are all stirred up over all this 
talk about their being set free,” Flora answered, 
“ and even Mammy, who was Mother’s nurse, 
and has always been well taken care of, thinks it 
would be a fine thing for her children and grand- 
children to be * j.es’ like white folks,’ ” and Flora 
laughed scornfully. 

“ But that needn’t make her look sober! ” in- 
sisted Grace. 


AT FORT SUMTER 


189 


“ I reckon she’s upset because my mother sold 
two or three little slaves yesterday — Mammy’s 
grandchildren,” Flora answered carelessly. 

Sylvia could feel her face flushing, and she said 
over to herself that no matter Avhat Flora said 
that she, Sylvia, must remember that Flora was 
her guest. Beside that, had not Flora taken off 
the blue cockade so that Sylvia would not be re- 
minded of the trouble at school? 

But Grace felt no such restraints. She was a 
southern girl as well as Flora, but she was sorry 
for the old colored woman. 

“ Well, I do wish we could keep the picka- 
ninnies until they grow up. It seems a shame 
when they feel so bad to be sold off to strangers. 
And some of them are abused too,” she said. 

“ You talk as if they felt just the same as we 
do, and that’s silly,” Flora declared; “ but Philip 
talks just the same. He says he is going to give 
Dinkie her freedom,” and she turned toward the 
two baskets which Mammy had set down with 
such care near Molly and Polly. 

44 1 brought my lace-work, and Mother has 
fixed a cushion for you, Sylvia, and one for 
Grace, too. See! The pattern is begun on each 
one, and I will give you both lessons until you 


140 


A YANKEE GIRL 


know as much as I do.” As Flora talked she 
had opened the smaller basket and taken out two 
square boxes and handed one to each of her 
friends. 

“ Open them,” she said, nodding smilingly. 

The box which she handed to Sylvia was 
covered with plaited blue silk. It had a narrow 
edge of gilt braid around the cover. Grace’s box 
was covered with yellow silk, but the boxes were 
of the same size. 

As Sylvia and Grace lifted the covers they 
smiled and exclaimed happily. The lace cushion 
lay inside, and in dainty little pockets on each 
side of the boxes were the delicate threads and 
materials for the lace. A thimble of gold, with 
“ Sylvia from Flora ” engraved around its rim, 
was in Sylvia’s box, and one exactly like it was 
in Grace’s box. 

“ Oh, Flora Hayes ! This is the most beauti- 
ful present that ever was! ” declared Sylvia; and 
Grace, holding the box with both hands, was 
hopping up and down saying over and over: 
“ Flora! You are just like the Golden Princess 
in a fairy story who gives people what they want 
most.” 

“ My mother made the boxes herself,” Flora 


AT FORT SUMTER 


141 


explained proudly. “ I wanted to give you girls 
something, and I’m awfully glad you like them.” 
Then Flora stood up quickly. 

“Girls! I dressed up in Mother’s hat and 
skirt, that night at the plantation. It wasn’t 
Lady Caroline.” 

She spoke very rapidly as if she wished to 
finish as quickly as possible. It was not easy to 
think of Flora Hayes as being ashamed, but 
Sylvia felt quite sure that Flora felt sorry that 
she had attempted to deceive her friends. 

“ I knew it all the time,” said Grace slowly, 
“and I told Sylvia it was you; didn’t I, 
Sylvia? ” 

“ Yes,” said Sylvia, “ and we knew you were 
sure to tell us about it, Flora. But you did look 
just like the picture of Lady Caroline.” 

Flora sat down. It had been so much easier 
to confess than she had expected. Neither Grace 
nor Sylvia had seemed resentful or surprised. 

“ You didn’t tell me that you knew,” she said, 
a little accusingly. 

“ Oh, well, we couldn’t do that, Flora. You 
see we were your guests,” Grace explained. 

“And we knew you were sure to tell us,” 
Sylvia added. 


142 


A YANKEE GIRL 


Flora was silent for a moment. She was 
thinking that both her friends had been rather 
fine about the whole affair. They had not run 
screaming from their room on the appearance of 
the “ ghost,” and alarmed the house, and so 
brought discovery and punishment and shame 
upon her ; neither had they resented her not con- 
fessing. 

“ Well, I do think you two girls are the nicest 
girls in this town,” she declared, “ and I am 
mighty proud that you are my friends. I can 
tell you one thing: I’ll never try to make anyone 
believe in ghosts again. I was half frightened to 
death myself when I crept up those stairs, and 
my shoulder has been lame ever since.” 

Grace and Sylvia had wondered what the large 
basket contained, but in their interest over 
Flora’s beautiful gifts, and their delight in her 
“ owning up ” to being the “ ghost,” they had 
quite forgotten about it. It was Flora who now 
pointed at it and said laughingly: “ I’ve brought 
my dolls in that basket.” 

“ Molly and Polly will be glad enough to have 
company,” Sylvia assured her. 

Flora opened the basket and took out a large 
black “ mammy ” in a purple dress, white apron. 


AT FORT SUMTER 143 

and a yellow handkerchief twisted turban-fashion 
about her head. 

“ Mammy J ane always goes with the young 
ladies/’ she explained laughingly, and took out 
two fine china dolls dressed in white muslin with 
broad crimson silk sashes. Each of these fine 
ladies had a tiny parasol of crimson silk. 

“ I’m going home after my dolls,” exclaimed 
Grace, and while Sylvia brought cushions for 
these unexpected visitors, and introduced them to 
Molly and Polly, Grace hurried home and was 
soon back again with her own treasured dolls, 
which she introduced as “ Mr. and Mrs. and Miss 
Delaney.” 

The lesson in lace-making was quite forgotten 
as the three girls played with the array of 
dolls. 

Sylvia ran to the door and called Estralla, who 
appeared so quickly that Sylvia wondered where 
she could have been. Estralla was told that she 
must help “ Mammy Jane ” take care of the doll 
visitors, and the little negro’s face beamed with 
pleasure. Not one of the little girls in the pleas- 
ant room was as happy as Estralla; and when 
supper was ready and Sylvia and her friends 
went down-stairs, leaving Estralla in charge of 


144 


A YANKEE GIRL 


all the dolls, she could hardly believe in her good 
fortune, and, as usual, was sure it was all due to 
her beloved Missy Sylvia. 

After supper the dolls were all invited down- 
stairs to be introduced to Sylvia’s father and 
mother; and Estralla, smiling and delighted, was 
entrusted with bringing “ Mammy Jane.” 

The three friends often looked back on that 
happy afternoon, for on the very next day Mr. 
Hayes decided to move his family to the planta- 
tion, and it was many days before Sylvia, Grace 
and Flora were to be together again. The citi- 
zens of Charleston, in December, 1860, were be- 
coming anxious as to what might befall them. 
Very soon it might be possible that South Caro- 
lina would secede from the Union, and war with 
the northern states might follow. In such a case 
the guns of Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie 
might fire on Charleston, and many planters who 
had homes in Charleston were sending their fam- 
ilies to their country homes. Northern men who 
had business in Charleston were also anxious, and 
Sylvia did not know that her own father was 
seriously considering a return to Boston. 

But the little girls bade each other good-night 
with happy smiles and laughter, and without a 


AT FORT SUMTER 


145 


thought but that they would have many more 
pleasant times together. 

Sylvia did not even think of the lace-making 
until she brought down her pretty box to show to 
her mother and father. 

“ The Charleston people have been so kind 
to us,” Mrs. Fulton said, a little sadly. 

“ They are the most courteous and kindly peo- 
ple in the world,” declared Mr. Fulton. 

Sylvia went up to her room wondering why her 
mother and father seemed so serious, when every- 
thing was so lovely. She had almost forgotten 
her adventure of the previous night, and went 
happily to bed with Flora’s pretty gift on the 
light-stand beside her bed. 


CHAPTER XIV 


MR. ROBERT WAITE 

It was a very sober little darky who came up 
to Sylvia’s room the next morning. She set 
down the pitcher of water and moved silently to- 
ward the door. 

“ What’s the matter, Estralla? ” Sylvia called; 
for usually Estralla was all smiles, and had a 
good deal to say. 

Estralla shook her head. “ Nufiin’, Missy. I 
knowed you couldn’t do nuffin’ ’bout it. My 
mammy says how nobody can.” 

“ Wait, Estralla! What do you mean? ” ex- 
claimed Sylvia, sitting up in bed. 

“ I’se gwine to be sold! Jes’ like I tells you. 
My mammy was over to Massa Waite’s house 
las’ night, and she hears ober dar dat Massa 
Robert’s gwine to sell off every nigger what ain’t 
workin’ — this week!” Estralla’s voice had 
drifted into her old-time wail. 

146 


AT FORT SUMTER 


147 


“ Oh, Estralla! What can I do? ” and Sylvia 
was out of bed in a second, standing close beside 
the little colored girl. 

“ I dunno, Missy Sylvia. I ’spec’ dar ain’t 
nuffin’ you kin do. But you has been mighty 
good to me,” Estralla replied. “ It’s mighty 
hard to go off and leave my mammy an’ never see 
you-all no more, Missy Sylvia. I dunno whar 
I’ll be sent.” 

“ Estralla, if you were earning wages for Mr. 
Robert Waite would he let you stay here? ” 
Sylvia asked eagerly. 

“ I reckon he would, Missy. But who’s 
a-gwine to pay wages for a pickaninny like me? 
Nobuddy! Missy, I’se a-gwine to run off an’ 
hide myself ’til the Yankee soldiers comes and 
sets us free,” said Estralla. 

“ You can’t do that. But don’t be frightened, 
Estralla. I have thought of something. I will 
hire you! Yes, I will; and pay wages for you 
to Mr. Waite. I’ll go tell him so this very day,” 
declared Sylvia, her face brightening, as she re- 
membered the twenty dollars in gold which her 
Grandmother Fulton had given her when she had 
left Boston. “ You can do whatever you please 
with it,” was what Grandmother Fulton had said. 


148 


A YANKEE GIRL 

Sylvia had thought that she would ask her mother 
to buy her a watch with the money, but she did 
not remember that now. She knew that, more 
than anything, she would rather keep Estralla 
safe. Twenty dollars was a good deal of money, 
she reflected. If the northern soldiers would 
only come quickly and set the slaves free! But 
even if they did not come for a long time the 
money would surely pay Mr. Waite wages for 
Estralla, so that he would not insist on selling 
her. 

Estralla’s face had brightened instantly at 
Sylvia’s promise. And when Sylvia explained 
that she had money of her very own, and even 
opened her writing desk and showed Estralla the 
shining gold pieces, the little darky’s fears van- 
ished. She was as sure that all would be well 
now, as she had been frightened and despondent 
when she entered the room. 

“ Shall I tell my mammy? ” she asked eagerly. 

“ Yes,” Sylvia responded. “ I know my 
mother will let me. Because Grandma said I 
could do as I pleased with the money. And I 
please to pay it to Mr. Waite.” 

“ Then I’ll be your maid, won’t I, Missy Syl- 
via? ” chuckled the little darky with proud de- 


AT FORT SUMTER 


149 


light, “ an’ I’ll allers go whar yo’ goes, like Missy 
Flora Hayes’ mammy does.” 

“ Why, yes, I suppose you will,” agreed 
Sylvia. 

Sylvia had meant to tell her mother and father 
of her plan about Estralla at breakfast time, but 
her father was just leaving the dining-room when 
she came in. 

“Are you going to ask your little friends to go 
out in the Butterfly this afternoon? ” he asked. 
“ If you want to go to the forts you must be on 
hand early.” 

“ I’ll ask them right away after breakfast, be- 
fore they start for school,” Sylvia promised 
eagerly. She was glad that she could go to the 
forts again, and tell Mrs. Carleton that she had 
given the letter to Mr. Doane. This filled her 
thoughts for the moment, so she quite forgot 
about her plan to employ Estralla, especially as 
her mother had decided that lessons would not 
begin until the following week. 

It had seemed to Mrs. Fulton that her little 
daughter was tired, and not as well as usual, and 
she was glad that the sailing expedition would 
take her out for a long afternoon on the water. 

Sylvia ate her breakfast hurriedly, and ran up- 


150 


A YANKEE GIRL 

stairs for her cape and hat, to find Estralla wait- 
ing just inside the door of her room. 

“ W’at yo’ mammy say ’bout my bein’ yo’ 
maid? ” questioned the little darky. 

“ Oh, it will be all right. I am going to ask 
Grace and Flora to go sailing this afternoon, and 
I’ll keep on to Mr. Robert Waite’s and have it all 
settled this morning,” Sylvia replied, putting on 
her pretty new hat. 

“ You may come, too,” she added. 

“ Yas, Missy. W’at yo’ reckon Massa Robert 
gwine to say? ” questioned Estralla earnestly. 

“ I think I will take the money,” Sylvia said, 
not answering Estralla’s question; “then Mr. 
Waite will be sure that I can pay him.” 

Mrs. Fulton saw Sylvia, closely followed by 
Estralla, running across the garden toward the 
house where Grace Waite lived. 

“ Poor little darky! What will she do when 
Sylvia goes north?” she thought. For Mr. 
Fulton had told her that very morning that he 
was sure South Carolina would secede from the 
Union, and then northern men would no longer 
be welcome in Charleston. That meant of course 
that the Fultons would have to return to Boston, 
if that were possible, but all communication with 


AT FORT SUMTER 151 

northern states might be prevented. It was no 
wonder that Mr. and Mrs. Fulton were anxious 
and worried. 

Grace was ready to start for school when Syl- 
via and Estralla arrived, and her mother gave her 
consent at once for her to go sailing in the after- 
noon. 

“ The Christmas holidays will soon be here, so 
a half day out of school will not matter,” Mrs. 
Waite said smilingly, and gave Grace a note for 
Miss Patten. 

“ I’ll walk to Flora’s with you,” said Grace. 
“ Now, Sylvia, own up that you think Charleston 
is nicer than Boston. Why, it is all ice and snow 
and cold weather up there, and here it is warm 
and pleasant. You couldn’t go sailing if you 
were in Boston to-day,” she added laughingly. 

“ No, but I could go sleighing,” responded 
Sylvia. 

As they came in sight of Flora’s home they 
both exclaimed in surprise: 

“ Why, they are all going away! Look, Flora 
and her mother are in the carriage ! ” said Grace, 
“ and there is Philip on horseback.” 

The carriage had turned on to the street, and 
even as Grace spoke a curve in the road hid it 


152 


A YANKEE GIRL 


from view. Philip, evidently giving some direc- 
tions to the negroes who were loading trunks and 
boxes into a cart, rode down the driveway just as 
Grace and Sylvia reached the entrance. 

He greeted them smilingly, and stopped his 
horse to speak with them. 

“ It was all planned for us to go to the planta- 
tion before Flora got home last night,” he ex- 
plained. “Father thought it was best for the 
family to be out of the city. You see, it’s getting 
time for Carolinians to take possession of the 
forts, and there may be trouble. But the pal- 
metto flag will soon float over Fort Sumter,” he 
added smilingly, and with a touch of his cap and 
a smiling good-bye he rode off. 

Sylvia was sorry that Flora was going away, 
but that Philip should want the palmetto flag to 
take the place of the Stars and Stripes over Fort 
Sumter seemed a much greater misfortune. 
“ When he knows it stands for slavery,” she 
thought, wondering if he had entirely forgotten 
about Dinkie. 

“ I’ll have to run, or I’ll be late for school,” de- 
clared Grace. “ I’ll be all ready when you call,” 
and with a gay good-bye she was off down the 
street, leaving Sylvia and Estralla standing alone 


AT FORT SUMTER 


153 


near the high wall which enclosed the garden of 
the Hayes house. 

“ Massa Robert Waite, he live right ’roun’ de 
corner,” said Estralla, and the two girls turned 
down the street leading to the house of Estralla’s 
master. 

Sylvia went up the flight of stone steps which 
led to Mr. Waite’s door a little fearfully. A 
tall, good-natured colored man opened the door 
and asked her errand, and then led the way across 
the wide hall and rapped at a door. 

“A little white missy to see you, Massa Rob- 
ert,” he said, and in a moment Sylvia found her- 
self standing before a smiling gentleman, whose 
red face and white whiskers made her think of the 
pictures of Santa Claus. 

“ Won’t you be seated, young lady? ” he said, 
very politely, waving his hand toward a low 
cushioned chair, and bowing “ as if I were really 
grown up,” thought Sylvia. 

“ I am Sylvia Fulton,” she said, wondering 
why her voice sounded so faint. 

“ Perhaps you are the daughter of Mr. John 
Fulton, who does me the favor of renting my 
house on the East Battery,” responded Mr. 
Waite, with another bow. 


154 


A YANKEE GIRL 

“ Yes, sir,” said Sylvia meekly, wondering 
whether she would ever dare tell him her errand. 
There was a little silence, and then Mr. Waite 
took a seat near his little visitor and said: 

“Let me see; is not your name in a song? 
‘ Then to Sylvia let us sing,’ ” he hummed, beat- 
ing time with his right hand. 

“ Oh, yes, I was named for that song. And, if 
you please, Mr. Waite, would you let me pay you 
wages for Estralla? ” 

“ For Estralla? Now, of course, I ought to 
know all about Estralla. But, you see, I have a 
man who attends to the names, and all that, of 
my negroes. But perhaps you can tell me who 
Estralla is? ” replied Mr. Waite. 

“ If you please, sir, she is Aunt Connie’s little 
girl, and she lives with us, and I like her, and I 

thought ” began Sylvia, but Mr. Waite 

raised his hand, and she stopped suddenly. 

“ I see! I see! You want her to wait upon 
you. I see. Quite right. But if she is living 
in your house she is not costing me a penny for 
board. So I am indebted to you. Well! Well! 
I must see that whatever you wish is carried out. 
You need not pay me wages, little Miss Sylvia, 
but you shall have the girl for your own servant 


AT FORT SUMTER 1 55 

as long as you live in my house, and I am de- 
lighted to have you take her off my hands. Yes, 
indeed! Yes, indeed!” and Mr. Waite smiled 
and bowed, and seemed exactly like Santa 
Claus. 

“ I’m ever so much obliged,” said Sylvia. “ I 
like Estralla.” 

“Do you? Yes! Well! And I hope you 
will come again, Miss Sylvia. I am greatly 
pleased to have made your acquaintance,” and 
the polite gentleman escorted her to the door, 
where he bade her good-bye with such an elegant 
bow that Sylvia nearly fell backward in her 
effort to make as low a curtsey as seemed neces- 
sary. 

Estralla had hidden herself behind some shrub- 
bery, and joined Sylvia at the gate. 

“ Would he hire me out, Missy? ” she asked 
eagerly. 

“ My, no ! ” answered Sylvia, and before she 
could explain the generosity of Estralla’s owner, 
the little darky was wailing and sobbing: “ I 
knowed I’d be sold! I knowed it.” 

“ Keep still, Estralla! Mr. Waite says I may 
have you without paying him. J ust as long as I 
live in his house he said you were to be my maid! 


156 


A YANKEE GIRL 

Oh, Estralla! He was just as kind and polite 
as if I had been a grown-up young lady,” said 
Sylvia with enthusiasm. 

“ Yas’m, I reckons he would hafter be, ’cos 
he’s a Carolinian gen’man. I’se mighty glad he 
gives me to you, Missy. I reckon my mammy’s 
gwine to be glad,” and Estralla, quite forgetting 
that there was such a thing as trouble in the 
world, danced along beside her new mistress. 

Sylvia hurried home, eager to tell her mother 
of her wonderful new friend, and of Flora’s de- 
parture to the plantation. 

Mrs. Fulton listened in surprise. But when 
Sylvia finished her story of Mr. Waite’s kind- 
ness, declaring that he was just like Santa Claus, 
she did not reprove her for going on such an 
errand without permission, but agreed with her 
little daughter that Mr. Robert Waite was a very 
kind and generous gentleman. 

Aunt Connie was as delighted as it was pos- 
sible for a mother to be who knows that her 
youngest child is safe under the same roof with 
herself. She tried to thank Sylvia for protect- 
ing Estralla, but Sylvia was too happy over her 
success to listen to her. 

When Grace returned from school Sylvia ran 


AT FORT SUMTER 157 

over and told her all about her Uncle Robert’s 
kindness. 

Grace listened with wondering eyes. 

“ Oh, that’s just like Uncle Robert,” she de- 
clared. “ But I think you were brave to ask 
him.” 


CHAPTER XV 


“ WHERE IS SYLVIA? ” 

The Butterfly was all ready and waiting for 
its passengers when Grace and Sylvia, followed 
by the smiling and delighted Estralla, who was 
carrying Sylvia’s cape and trying to act as much 
like a “ rale grown-up lady’s maid ” as possible, 
came down to the long wharf. 

Although it was December, there was little to 
remind anyone of winter. The air was soft and 
clear, the sun shone brightly, and only a little 
westerly breeze ruffled the blue waters of the 
harbor. 

Negroes were at work on the wharf loading 
bales of cotton on a big ship. They were singing 
as they worked, and Sylvia resolved to remember 
the words of the song: 

“De big bee flies high, 

De little bee makes de honey, 

De black man raise de cotton, 

An’ de white man gets de money.’ ’ 

158 






































































































































































- 
















































AT FORT SUMTER 


159 


She repeated it over and then Grace sang it, with 
an amused laugh at her friend’s interest in 
“ nigger songs.” 

Mr. Fulton came to meet them and helped 
them on board the boat. As the Butterfly made 
its way out into the channel the little girls looked 
back at the long water-front, where lay many 
vessels from far-off ports. In the distance they 
could see the spire of St. Philip’s, one of the 
historic churches of Charleston, and everywhere 
fluttered the palmetto flag. 

Sylvia sat in the stern beside her father, and 
very soon the tiller was in her hand and she was 
shaping the boat’s course toward the forts. 
Grace watched her admiringly. 

“ I believe you could steer in the dark,” she 
declared. 

“ Of course she could if she had a compass and 
was familiar with the stars,” said Mr. Fulton; 
and he called Grace’s attention to the compass 
fastened securely near Sylvia’s seat, and ex- 
plained the rules of navigation. 

“ Is that the way the big ships know how to 
find their harbors?” asked Grace, when Mr. 
Fulton told her of the stars, and how the pilots 
set their course. 


160 


A YANKEE GIRL 


“ Yes, and if Sylvia understood how to steer 
by the compass she could steer the Butterfly as 
well at night as she can now.” 

Sylvia looked at the compass with a new in- 
terest; she was sure that navigation would be a 
much more interesting study than grammar, and 
resolved to ask her father to teach her how to 
“ box the compass.” 

There had been many changes at Fort Moul- 
trie since Sylvia’s last visit. A deep ditch had 
been dug between the fort and the sand-bars, and 
many workmen were busy in strengthening the 
defences, and Sylvia and Grace wondered why 
so many soldiers were stationed along the 
parapet. 

Captain Carleton seemed very glad to welcome 
them, and sent a soldier to escort the girls to the 
officers’ quarters, while Mr. Fulton went in 
search of Major Anderson. Sylvia wondered if 
she would have a chance to tell Mrs. Carleton 
that she had safely delivered the message. 

Mrs. Carleton was in her pleasant sitting-room 
and declared that she had been wishing for com- 
pany, and held up some strips of red and white 
bunting. “ I am making a new flag for Fort 
Sumter,” she said. “ Perhaps you will help me 


AT FORT SUMTER 161 

sew on the stars, one for each State, you 
know.” 

“ Is there one for South Carolina? ” asked 
Grace, as Mrs. Carleton found two small thim- 
bles, which she said she had used when she was 
no older than Sylvia, and showed the girls 
how to sew the white stars securely on the 
blue. 

“Yes, indeed! One of the first stars on the 
flag was for South Carolina,” replied Mrs. Carle- 
ton, “ and this very fort was named for a de- 
fender of America’s rights.” 

While Grace and Sylvia were so pleasantly oc- 
cupied Estralla had wandered out, crossed the 
bridge which connected the officers’ quarters with 
the fort, and now found herself near the landing- 
place, so that when Mrs. Carleton made the girls 
a cup of hot chocolate and looked about to give 
Estralla her share, the little colored girl was not 
to be seen. 

“ I’ll call her,” said Sylvia, and ran out on the 
veranda. 

No response came to her calls, so she went 
down the steps and along the walk which led to 
the sand-bars, past the houses and barracks on 
Sullivan’s island. No one was in sight whom 


162 


A YANKEE GIRL 


she could ask if Estralla had passed that way. 
She climbed a small sand-hill covered with 
stunted little trees and looked about, but could 
see no trace of the little darky. It had not oc- 
curred to Sylvia that Estralla would go back to 
the fort. 

“Oh, dear! I wonder where she can be,” 
thought Sylvia, calling “Estralla! Estralla!” 
and sure that if she was within hearing Estralla 
would instantly appear. As Sylvia climbed over 
the sandy slope she saw here and there a small 
green vine with glossy leaves and a tiny yellow 
blossom, and resolved to gather a bunch to carry 
back to Mrs. Carleton. “ When I give them to 
her I’ll have a chance to say that Mr. Doane has 
the letter,” she thought. 

Wandering on in search of the flowers, she 
went further and further from the fort, up one 
sand slope and down another, almost forgetting 
her search for Estralla, and finally deciding that 
it was time to go back to Mrs. Carleton. 

“ Probably Estralla is there before this, and 
they will be looking for me,” she thought, and 
climbed another sandy slope, expecting to see the 
houses and barracks directly in front of her. But 
she found herself facing the open sea, and look 


AT FORT SUMTER 


163 


which way she would there was only shore, sand 
heaps and blue water. 

But Sylvia was not at all alarmed. She was 
sure that all she had to do was to follow the line 
of shore and she would soon be in sight of some 
familiar place, so she started singing to herself as 
she walked on: 

“De big bee flies high, 

De little bee makes de honey/ * 

and hoping that Mrs. Carleton would not think 
that she had been careless in losing her way. 

It was rather difficult walking. Her feet 
slipped in the sand, and after a little Sylvia de- 
cided not to follow the shore, but to climb back 
over the sand-hills. 

A cold wind was now blowing from the water, 
and she was glad of the shelter of the stunted 
trees, and decided to rest for a little while. 

“ Of course I can’t be lost, because I know 
exactly where I am. This is Sullivan Island, 
and the fort is right over there. I mustn’t rest 
but a minute, for my father said we would start 
home early,” she thought, and again started on, 
going directly away from the fort, and over sand- 


164 


A YANKEE GIRL 


hills and into little sloping valleys farther and 
farther away from familiar places. 

The December day drew to a close, and dusky 
shadows crept over the island. Once or twice 
Sylvia’s wanderings had brought her back to the 
shore, but not until the darkness began to gather 
did she really understand that she was lost, and 
that she was too tired to walk much longer. She 
thought of the little compass on board the Butter- 
fly , and wondered if a compass would help any- 
one find her way on land as well as on the sea. 
At last she began to call aloud: “Estralla! 
Estralla ! ” feeling almost sure that, like herself, 
Estralla must be wandering about lost in the 
sand-hills. 

It was nearly dark before she gave up try- 
ing to find her way to the fort, and, shivering 
and half afraid, crawled under the scraggly 
branches of some stunted trees on a sheltered 
slope. 

“ My father will come and find me, I know he 
will,” she said aloud, almost ready to cry. “ I’ll 
wait here, and keep calling 4 Estralla,’ so he will 
hear me.” 

A few moments after Sylvia started to find 
Estralla Mrs. Carleton had been called to a 


AT FORT SUMTER 


165 


neighbor’s house. “ Tell Sylvia I won’t be gone 
long,” she had said to Grace. 

Grace did not mind being alone until Sylvia 
returned. She helped herself to the rich creamy 
chocolate and the little frosted cakes, and then 
curled up on a broad couch near the window with 
a book full of wonderful pictures. The pictures 
were of a tall man on horseback, and a short, fat 
man on a donkey. “ The Adventures of Don 
Quixote,” was the title of the book, and after 
Grace began to read she entirely forgot Sylvia, 
Estralla, and Mrs. Carleton. And not until Mr. 
Fulton came into the room an hour later did she 
lift her eyes from the book. 

“All ready to start!” said Mr. Fulton, “and 
it will be dusk before we reach home. Where is 
Sylvia? ” 

“ Oh ! ” exclaimed Grace, looking up in sur- 
prise. “ Hasn’t she come back with Estralla? 
Mrs. Carleton has just gone to the next 
house.” 

“ Well, put on your things and run after them, 
that’s a good girl,” said Mr. Fulton. “ Why, 
here is Estralla now,” he added, as the little 
colored girl appeared at the door. “ Tell Miss 
Sylvia to come down to the landing; I’ll meet you 


166 


A YANKEE GIRL 


there/’ and he hurried away, thinking his little 
daughter was safe with Mrs. Carleton. 

“ Whar’ is Missy Sylvia? ” asked Estralla, who 
had been asleep in a sunny corner of the veranda 
for the last hour. 

“ Where is Sylvia? ” echoed Mrs. Carleton, 
who came in at that moment. “ Has she gone 
to the boat? ” 

“ Why, I don’t know. Perhaps she has. Mr. 
Fulton said for us to come right to the landing,” 
said Grace, her thoughts still full of the faithful 
Sancho Panza of whom she had been reading. 

“ I will go to the wharf with you. It was too 
bad to leave you. I must see Sylvia before she 
goes. Perhaps I may not be permitted to have 
visitors much longer,” said Mrs. Carleton, and 
she and Grace left the pleasant room and, fol- 
lowed closely by Estralla, made their way over 
the bridge to the landing-place. 

“ Where is Sylvia? ” asked Mr. Fulton, look- 
ing at his watch. “We really ought to have 
started an hour ago.” 

For a moment the little group looked at each 
other in silence. Then with a sudden cry 
Estralla darted off. 

Mrs. Carleton hurriedly explained Sylvia’s 


AT FORT SUMTER 


167 


starting off to find Estralla, and her own de- 
parture. She blamed herself that she had per- 
mitted Sylvia to go out alone. 

“ She must be somewhere about the fort,” de- 
clared Captain Carleton. 

“ Oh, yes,” agreed Mr. Fulton, “ but we had 
best lose no time in finding her.” 

While Captain Carleton questioned the sol- 
diers, Mr. Fulton and Mrs. Carleton and Grace 
hastened back to the officers’ quarters, and a 
thorough search for the little girl was begun at 
once. No one gave a thought to Estralla, who 
had traced her little mistress along the street, and 
was now running along a sandy slope beyond the 
barracks calling: “Missy Sylvia! Missy Syl- 
via ! ” But no answer came to her calls. 


CHAPTER XVI 


IN DANGER 

Estralla did not know why she was so sure 
that Missy Sylvia had wandered out beyond the 
barracks ; but, since her little mistress was not at 
Mrs. Carleton’s, and had not come to the land- 
ing-place, the little colored girl was sure that she 
must be among the sand-hills, and she ran along 
calling Sylvia’s name as she ran. 

Now and then she stopped to listen for some 
response, or to look about for some sign that 
might tell her that Sylvia had passed that way, 
and near the top of one of the little slopes she 
found a bunch of the green vines and yellow 
blossoms which Sylvia had dropped. 

“ She shuah am somewhar near,” thought 
Estralla, and just then she heard a far-off call. 

“Dat was my name!” she exclaimed aloud, 
and listened more intently than ever. 

“ Maybe ’twas jes’ one o’ them gull-birds 
a-callin’,” she decided as no further sound came 
to her ears. 


168 


AT FORT SUMTER 


169 


Now she went on more carefully, but she, too, 
came to the shore; but it was on the inner curve 
of the land, a little cove where an old shanty 
stood near the water, and a boat was drawn up 
near by. 

Estralla looked into the rough cabin, half hop- 
ing to find Sylvia there. Then she went back a 
little way and shouted Sylvia’s name again and 
again, and this time there was a response. 
“ Estralla! Estralla! ” came clearly to her ears. 

“ My lan’ o’ grashus ! ” whispered the little 
darky, and then called loudly, “ I’se a-comin’, 
Missy Sylvia.” And now Sylvia called again. 
Back and forth sounded the voices of the two 
girls, each one moving toward the other, for at 
the welcome sound of Estralla’s call Sylvia had 
sprung up and hurried in the direction from 
which the voice seemed to come. 

It was now so nearly dusk that as they came 
in sight of each other they were like dark shad- 
ows. 

“ Oh, Estralla! Where is my father? ” Sylvia 
cried as Estralla ran toward her and flung both 
arms about her little mistress. 

“ He’s a-waitin’ fer yo\ Missy! Don’ be 
skeered; I’se gwine to take keer of yo’.” 


170 


A YANKEE GIRL 


“ Do you know the way back, Estralla? ” asked 
Sylvia. “ I couldn’t find the fort.” 

“ No, Missy; I reckon we couldn’t fin’ nuthin’ 
now, ’tis too nigh dark. But thar’s a cabin an’ 
a boat j,es’ over t’other side o’ dis san’ heap. I 
kin fin’ them,” responded Estralla, turning back. 
They walked very slowly, for Estralla wanted to 
be quite sure that they were going in the right 
direction, and not until they were in sight of the 
cabin and the shadowy outlines of the boat did 
she feel safe. Then with a sigh of relief she ex- 
claimed : 

“ W’at I tell yo’, Missy Sylvia! Ain’t dar a 
boat, like what I said? An’ don’ yo’ know all 
’bout a boat? Course yo’ does. Now yo’ can 
sail us right off home. An’ when yo’ pa comes 
home ’mos’ skeered to def, ’cos he cyan’t fin’ yo’, 
thar’ yo’ll be,” and Estralla chuckled happily as 
if all their troubles were over. 

But Sylvia was not so sure. Unless there was 
a sail or a pair of oars the boat would be of little 
use, and even with oars and sail could she guide 
the boat safely to Charleston? 

They soon discovered that there was a pair of 
oars in the boat, but there was no sail or tiller. 
Sylvia could row, but Estralla could not be of 


AT FORT SUMTER 


171 


any use. But it seemed the only way in which 
they could reach either Fort Moultrie or their 
home, for both the little girls realized that they 
might wander about the sand-hills all night with- 
out finding their way back to the fort. It was 
chilly and dark, and the old cabin with its sagging 
roof and open doorway was not a very inviting 
shelter. Indeed, Estralla was quite sure that a 
lion, or at the very least a family of wolves, was 
at that moment safely hidden in one of the dark 
corners of the cabin. 

“ The moon is out ! Look ! ” said Sylvia, 
“ and there goes a steamer.” 

Sylvia did not know that this steamer was a 
guard-boat which Governor Pickens of South 
Carolina had ordered stationed between Sulli- 
van’s Island and Fort Sumter to prevent, if pos- 
sible, any United States troops being landed at 
that fort. 

“I can see the fort!” declared Sylvia. 
“ That’s it off beyond the boat,” and she pointed 
down the harbor. “ Now, we will start. I 
know I can row the boat that far, and I am sure 
my father will not go home without us. To- 
morrow we will send this boat back.” 

Sylvia had now forgotten all her weariness, 


172 


A YANKEE GIRL 

and she was no longer afraid. She was sure that 
in a little while she would be safely at the fort, 
and then, she resolved, she would at once tell 
Mrs. Carleton that Mr. Doane had the letter and 
ask permission to tell her mother of her part in 
the secret message. 

The boat was already half afloat, and it was an 
easy matter to pull up the big stone attached to a 
strong rope which served as an anchor, and then 
to push off from shore. 

“ You watch, Estralla, and if any other boat 
comes near shout at the top of your voice,” said 
Sylvia as she dipped the oars into the dark water 
and pulled off from shore. 

“My lan’, Missy! Dar’s dat light agin,” 
called the half -frightened darky, “ an’ we’s right 
in it dis time! ” 

An instant later a call came from the guard- 
boat. “Boat ahoy! Where bound?” and be- 
fore Sylvia could ship her oars or answer the 
call she found herself looking straight into 
the blinding light, and felt the little boat ris- 
ing on the crest of the wave made by the 
steamer. 

“We’s gwine to be drownded, Missy!” 
shouted Estralla, and before Sylvia could say a 


AT FORT SUMTER 


173 


word the frightened little darky had sprung up 
and lurched forward across Sylvia’s knees. 

The boat tipped and the water rushed over one 
side, but Sylvia, clutching the oars steadily, and 
remembering her father’s frequent warnings, sat 
perfectly still and the little craft righted itself. 

“You nearly upset us; keep still where you 
are. Don’t move!” said Sylvia angrily. The 
light had flashed in another direction now, and 
the guard-boat had moved on, thinking the boat 
contained two young darkies bound for Sulli- 
van’s Island after a visit to Charleston. 

Sylvia could feel the water about her feet and 
ankles. She wished that she had called for help, 
for she realized now that they might be run into 
and sunk by some passing craft. Beside that 
the wind and tide were now carrying them 
swiftly along toward the open sea. Then, sud- 
denly, Sylvia dropped her oars and screamed at 
the top of her voice. Estralla shouted loudly. 
Their boat had run directly against the wall of 
Fort Sumter. In an instant there were lights 
flashing over the parapet. There was the sound 
of voices, a call, and then the little craft was 
held firmly against the barricade and a gruff 
voice called: 


174 


A YANKEE GIRL 


“ Stop your noise, and we’ll have you safe in 
a jiffy.” 

But it seemed a long time to the frightened 
children before a tall soldier swung over into the 
boat and lifted Sylvia and then Estralla up to the 
outstretched hands which grasped them so firmly. 

“ What on earth were you out in that boat 
for? ” questioned an elderly gruff -voiced officer, 
when Sylvia and Estralla, thoroughly drenched 
and wondering what new misfortune was in store 
for them, followed him into a bare little cell-like 
room where the lamplight made them blink and 
shield their eyes for a moment. 

Sylvia told of their adventures as quickly as 
possible, and the officer listened in amazement. 

“Upon my word!” he said as she finished. 
“ It’s a wonder you are alive to tell the story. 
And so you are a little Yankee girl? Weill 
Come along to my quarters and my wife will put 
you both to bed, or you’ll be too ill to go home 
to-morrow.” 

“ Can’t we go to Fort Moultrie right away? ” 
pleaded Sylvia. “ My father must be worried 
about me.” 

“No one from this fort can go to Fort Moul- 
trie,” he responded gravely. “ Those flash-lights 


AT FORT SUMTER 


17 5 


are from a guard-boat which the South Carolina 
people have sent down the harbor so that Major 
Anderson won’t send us reinforcements without 
their knowledge. I wish Anderson would send 
some message to the President,” he added, as if 
thinking aloud. 

Sylvia wondered to herself if the letter she 
had carried to Mr. Doane might not be a mes- 
sage to the President? She wished she could 
tell this big officer about it. But she remembered 
her promise to Mrs. Carleton not to speak of it 
to anyone. 

“ Here’s a half-drowned little Yankee girl and 
her little darky,” said the officer, as he led the 
two girls into a warm pleasant room where a 
pretty elderly lady with white hair sat with her 
needlework. 

“For pity sake, Gerald!” she exclaimed. 
“ They are shivering with cold,” and without ask- 
ing a single question she began to take off 
Sylvia’s wet dress. 

“ Gerald, send Sally right in with hot milk,” 
she directed, and the officer vanished. 

It was not long before Sylvia was sitting up in 
bed wrapped in a gay-colored blanket and drink- 
ing milk so hot and sweet and spicy that it seemed 


176 


A YANKEE GIRL 

as if she could never have enough of it. Estralla 
was curled up in a big scarlet wrapper on a rug 
near the fire with a big mug of the spiced and 
sweetened milk. And when they had finished 
this a plate of hot buttered biscuit, and thin slices 
of ham, was brought in. Then there was more 
warm milk. 

“ Now you must both go straight to sleep,” 
commanded Mrs. Gerald, “ and to-morrow morn- 
ing my husband will take you safely home,” and 
kissing Sylvia, and with a kindly smile for 
Estralla, the friendly woman bade them good- 
night. 

There was no light now in the room save the 
dancing firelight. Sylvia lay watching the 
shadows on the wall. Estralla was fast asleep, but 
her little mistress lay awake thinking over the 
adventures of the day. She was at F ort Sumter, 
the long dark fort which she had so often seen 
with the Stars and Stripes waving above it from 
her home, from Miss Patten’s schoolroom, and 
in her sails about the harbor. Sylvia snuggled 
down in her comfortable bed with a sense of 
safety and comfort. “ I wish my father and 
mother could know I am at Fort Sumter,” was 
her last waking thought. 


CHAPTER XVII 


A CHRISTMAS PRESENT 

Every nook and corner of Fort Moultrie was 
searched for the missing Sylvia, and when no 
trace of her could be discovered, her friends be- 
came nearly certain that the little girl must have 
slipped from the landing-place into the sea, and 
that it was useless to search for her. But it was 
late in the evening before Mr. Fulton gave up 
the search, and with a sad and anxious heart 
headed the Butterfly toward Charleston. He 
still hoped that his little girl might be found. A 
party of soldiers, headed by Captain Carleton, 
had started to search for her on Sullivan’s Island, 
but this had not been determined upon until late 
in the evening, at about the time when Estralla 
and Sylvia were embarking upon their adventur- 
ous voyage to Fort Sumter. 

No one had given a thought to the little darky 
girl. She was supposed to be somewhere about 
the fort. 


177 


178 


A YANKEE GIRL 


Grace, warmly wrapped in a thick shawl, sat 
beside Mr. Fulton as the Butterfly made its swift 
way across the dark harbor. They could see the 
dark line of the guard-boat, but they were not 
molested and came into the wharf safely. Grace 
held close to Mr. Fulton’s hand as they hurried 
toward home with the sad news of Sylvia’s dis- 
appearance. Neither of them spoke until they 
reached the walk leading to the door of Grace’s 
home, then Grace said: 

“ I know Sylvia will be found. Estralla will 
surely find her and bring her home.” 

“Estralla! Why, I had entirely forgotten 
her,” responded Mr. Fulton. 

“ She ran off as soon as Sylvia was missed,” 
Grace continued earnestly, “ and she will find 
her. Probably she has found her before this.” 

“ I believe you are right. Estralla is a clever 
little darky, and if she started in search of Sylvia 
perhaps she has been able to find her. I had not 
thought of it,” and Mr. Fulton’s voice had a new 
note of hope. 

“ Thank you, Grace. I will start back to the 
fort as soon as I have talked with Sylvia’s 
mother.” 

But on Mr. Fulton’s return to the wharf he 


AT FORT SUMTER 179 

found a sentry on guard who refused him per- 
mission to go to the fort. It was in vain that 
Mr. Fulton explained that his little daughter was 
lost, that he must be permitted to return to the 
fort. 

The sentry wasted no words. “ Orders, sir. 
Sorry,” was the only response he could get, and 
at midnight Mr. Fulton was in his own house 
looking out over the harbor. Mingled with his 
anxious fear for the safety of his little daughter 
was the thought of the sentries now guarding 
Charleston’s water-front, of the assembling of 
soldiers in the city, and the evident plan of the 
southerners to seize the forts in the harbor and 
force the Government into war. 

He realized that in that case it would not be 
possible for his family to remain in Charleston. 

Early the next morning Sylvia was awakened 
and made ready for her return, and when the sun 
shone brightly over the waters of the harbor she 
and Estralla, with Captain Gerald and a strong 
negro servant, were on board a boat sailing 
rapidly toward home. 

They landed at the wharf where the Butterfly 
was fastened, and before Captain Gerald had 
stepped on shore Sylvia called out: “ Father! 


180 


A YANKEE GIRL 


Father! There he is! And Mother, too! ” and 
in another moment her mother’s arms were about 
her, and she was telling as rapidly as possible the 
story of her adventures, and of Estralla coming 
to her rescue. 

Grace came running to meet Sylvia as they 
came near their home. 

“ Oh, Sylvia, I wish I had been with you,” she 
exclaimed. “ That is twice you have been to 
Fort Sumter without meaning to go, isn’t it? ” 

‘‘We will hope that her next visit will not be 
as dangerous as this one,” said Mr. Fulton 
soberly. 

For several days Sylvia could think and talk 
only of her wanderings among the sand-hills, and 
of her first sight of the guard-boat. She began 
teaching Estralla on the very day of her return, 
and the little darky made rapid progress. 

“ Father, when may we go to Fort Moultrie 
again? ” she asked one morning a few days later, 
for she wanted very much to see Mrs. Carleton, 
and was quite sure that her father would be ready 
to sail down the harbor on any pleasant day, and 
his reply made her look up in surprise. 

“ I do not know that we shall ever go to the 
forts again,” her father had replied. “ Did you 


AT FORT SUMTER 


181 


not hear the bells ringing and the military music 
yesterday? South Carolina has seceded from 
the Union. No one is allowed to go to the forts. 
And unless Major Anderson takes possession of 
Fort Sumter the Confederates will.” 

“ And we are to start for Boston next week, 
dear child,” Sylvia’s mother added. 

It seemed to Sylvia that her mother was very 
glad at the thought of returning to her former 
home. But Sylvia was not glad. What would 
become of Estralla? 

Mr. Waite had said that as long as Sylvia 
lived in his house the little colored girl could be 
her maid. But if they went to Boston and left 
Estralla behind Sylvia was sure that there would 
be nothing but trouble for the faithful little 
darky. 

“ Why, Sylvia! What is the matter?” ques- 
tioned her mother anxiously; for Sylvia was lean- 
ing her head on the table. 

“I can’t go to Boston and leave Estralla!” 
she sobbed. “ She has done lots of brave 
things for me. She wouldn’t leave me to be a 
slave.” 

Mr. and Mrs. Fulton looked at each other with 
puzzled eyes. 


182 


A YANKEE GIRL 


“ But Estralla would not want to leave her 
mammy/’ suggested Mr. Fulton. 

“ Oh, Father! Can’t Aunt Connie and Es- 
tralla go with us?” and Sylvia lifted her head 
and looked hopefully at her father. “ Couldn’t 
I buy Estralla and then make her free? I’ve got 
that gold money Grandma gave me.” 

“ I am afraid it wouldn’t be much use for me 
to even try to buy a slave’s freedom now,” Mr. 
Fulton said a little sadly. “ Don’t suggest such 
a thing to Aunt Connie, Sylvia.” 

“ When shall we go to Boston? ” Sylvia asked. 

“ Right away after Christmas, unless Fort 
Sumter is attacked before that time. Washing- 
ton ought to send troops and provisions for the 
forts at once ! ” replied Mr. Fulton. 

After her father had left the house Sylvia and 
her mother went up to Mrs. Fulton’s pleasant 
sitting-room. 

“We must begin to pack at once,” declared 
Sylvia’s mother, “ and do not go outside the gate 
alone, Sylvia. I wish we could leave Charleston 
immediately.” 

“ Won’t I see Mrs. Carleton again? ” Sylvia 
asked anxiously. 

“ I do not know, dear child. But run away 


AT FORT SUMTER 


183 


and give Estralla her lesson, as usual. It will not 
be a very gay Christmas for any of us this year,” 
responded Mrs. Fulton, and Sylvia went slowly 
to her own room where Estralla was waiting for 
her. 

The little colored girl had put the room in 
order; there was a bright fire in the grate, the 
morning sunshine filled the room, and Miss 
Molly and Polly, smiling as usual, were in the 
tiny chairs behind the little round table. 

“ Dar’s gwine to be war. Missy! ” Estralla de- 
clared solemnly. “ Yas’m. Dar's soldiers cornin' 
in from ebery place. Won't de Yankees come 
and set us free, Missy? ” 

Sylvia shook her head. “ I don’t know, 
Estralla! Let's not talk about it,” she replied. 

“ Wal, Missy, lots of darkies are runnin' off! 
My mammy say we'll stay right here 'til Massa 
Fulton goes, an’ den ” — Estralla stopped, leaned 
a little nearer to Sylvia and whispered, “ an’ 
den my mammy an' I we’se gwine to go with 
Massa Fulton.” 

Mrs. Fulton was not in her room, so Sylvia 
went down the stairs to look for her. She heard 
voices in the sitting-room, and turned in that 
direction. 


184 


A YANKEE GIRL 


“ Oh! ” she whispered, as she stood in the open 
door. For her mother was sitting on the big 
sofa near the open fire, and beside her sat Mr. 
Robert Waite, while her father was standing in 
front of them. They were all talking so earnestly 
that they did not notice the surprised little girl 
standing in the doorway, and Sylvia heard Mr. 
Waite say: 

“ I shall be glad to protect your interests here, 
Mr. Fulton, as far as it is possible to do so. And 
you had better leave Charleston immediately. 
The city is no longer a safe place for northern 
people. The conflict may begin at any mo- 
ment.” 

“ ‘ Conflict,’ ” Sylvia repeated the word to her- 
self. Probably it meant something dreadful, she 
thought, recalling the “ question period ” at Miss 
Rosalie’s school. 

Just then Mr. Waite glanced toward the door 
and saw Sylvia. In a second he was on his feet, 
bowing as politely as on their last meeting. 

“ Miss Sylvia, I am glad to see you again,” 
and he stepped forward to meet her. 

Sylvia, feeling quite grown-up, made her 
pretty curtsey, and smiled with delight at Mr. 
Waite’s greeting, as he led her toward her mother 


AT FORT SUMTER 185 

and, with another polite bow, gave her the seat 
on the sofa. 

“ I was hoping to see Miss Sylvia,” he said. 
“ I had meant to make her a little Christmas 
gift, with your permission,” and he bowed again 
to Mrs. Fulton. “ She was kind enough to in- 
terest herself in behalf of one of my people, the 
little darky, Estralla. And so I thought this 
would please you,” and he smiled at Sylvia, who 
began to be sure that Mr. Waite and Santa Claus 
must be exactly alike. As he spoke he handed 
Sylvia a long envelope. 

“ Do not open it until to-morrow, if you 
please,” he added. 

Sylvia promised and thanked him. She won- 
dered if the envelope might not contain a picture 
of this kind friend. She knew that she must not 
ask a question; questions were never polite, she 
remembered, especially about a gift. But what- 
ever it was she was very happy to think Mr. 
Robert Waite had remembered her. 

They all went to the door with their friendly 
visitor, and stood there until he had reached the 
gate. Then Sylvia said, speaking very slowly: 

“ I think Mr. Robert Waite is just like the 
Knights in that book, 4 The Age of Chivalry/ 


186 


A YANKEE GIRL 


They always did exactly what was right., and so 
does he ; and they were polite and so is he.” 

“ Then, my dear, perhaps you will always re- 
member that to do brave and gentle deeds with 
kindness is what ‘ chivalry 9 means,” responded 
Mrs. Fulton. 

Grace came in that afternoon greatly excited 
that it was a holiday. The whole city was 
rejoicing over the fact that South Carolina 
had been the first of the southern states to 
secede from the Union. Palmetto flags floated 
everywhere ; the streets were filled with marching 
men. Major Anderson in Fort Moultrie 
watched Fort Sumter with anxious eyes, hoping 
for a word from Washington which would give 
him authority to occupy it before the Charleston 
men could turn its guns against him. Already 
Mr. Doane had reached Washington; the mes- 
sage Sylvia had carried through the night had 
been delivered, and its answer, by a trusted mes- 
senger, was on its way south. 


CHAPTER XVIII 


GREAT NEWS 

Sylvia carried the long envelope which Mr. 
Robert Waite had given her to her room, and 
put it in the drawer of her desk with the treasured 
gold pieces. 

“ It will be splendid to have a picture of Mr. 
Waite to show Grandma Fulton,” she thought 
happily, “ and I can tell her all about him.” 

Then her thoughts rested on Flora, in the 
“ haunted house,” and she opened the silk-cov- 
ered work-box and tried on the pretty gold 
thimble. She thought of her gold pieces, and a 
sudden resolve came into her mind: 

“ I will give Flora and Grace each a gold 
locket, with my picture in it.” And just then 
Mrs. Fulton entered the room, and Sylvia ran 
toward her: 

“ Mother! Mother! I have a beautiful plan. 
I want to give Flora and Grace each a present. 
I want to give them each a gold locket with my 
187 


188 


A YANKEE GIRL 


picture in it. On Grace’s locket I want ‘ Grace 
from Sylvia/ and on Flora’s, 4 Flora from 
Sylvia/ I can pay for them with my gold 
money. I may, mayn’t I, Mother? ” and Sylvia 
looked eagerly toward her mother. 

“ Of course you may; but it is too late to get 
the pictures and lockets in time for Christmas,” 
responded Mrs. Fulton. 

“ I don’t care when; only if we do go back to 
Boston I want them to have something to re- 
member me by,” said Sylvia, remembering the 
unfailing loyalty of her two little southern 
friends. 

“ The day after Christmas we will select the 
lockets, and see about the pictures,” said Mrs. 
Fulton. Before Sylvia could answer there came 
a tap at the door, and Aunt Connie, evidently 
rather anxious and uncertain, whispered: 

“ Dar’s a lady, Mistress, a lady f’um de fort, 
an’ she say ” 

“ It must be Mrs. Carleton. I’ll go right 
down,” responded Mrs. Fulton, and, followed by 
Sylvia, she hurried down the stairs, to find Mrs. 
Carleton awaiting them. 

“ Captain Carleton insisted that I should come 
to you,” she said. “ He feels sure that the 


AT FORT SUMTER 


189 


Charleston men mean to take Fort Sumter at 
once. Major Anderson is sending the women 
and children away from Fort Moultrie to places 
of safety.” 

“ Of course you must stay with us, and we are 
delighted to have you,” said Mrs. Fulton. “ We 
want to stay in Charleston unless it becomes 
necessary for us to leave.” 

Mrs. Carleton greeted Sylvia warmly, and, 
greatly to her surprise, said: 

“ I have not had the opportunity to thank you, 
dear child, for delivering the message safely. 
We have heard that Mr. Doane has presented 
the letter to the President, and Major Anderson 
is sure that reinforcements and provisions for the 
forts will be sent at once.” Then turning to Mrs. 
Fulton, she continued: “ I know this loyal child 
kept her secret, and that even you and her father 
do not realize what a service your little daughter 
has rendered to the cause of Freedom! ” 

Mrs. Fulton was looking at her visitor in 
amazement. 

“ Sylvia! Message! Secret?” she exclaimed 
in such a puzzled tone that both Mrs. Carleton 
and Sylvia laughed aloud. 

“Tell her, Sylvia! And I want to hear 


190 A YANKEE GIRL 

how you delivered the letter,” said Mrs. Carle- 
ton. 

So Sylvia told the story of creeping out of the 
house at nearly midnight, of the man who had 
declared her to be a runaway darky, of Estralla 
following her, and of their return. “ And the 
door was closed and fastened, although I left it 
open,” she concluded. 

Mrs. Fulton recalled that one night they had 
been slightly disturbed by some unusual noise 
and that Mr. Fulton had gone down-stairs and 
discovered the front door open. “ And we 
blamed Aunt Connie,” she added. 

“ I did want to tell you, Mother,” said Sylvia, 
“ but it’s even better to have Mrs. Carleton tell 
you.” 

That evening the story was retold to Mr. Ful- 
ton, who listened with even more surprise than 
Sylvia’s mother had shown. He said that 
Estralla had been as brave as Sylvia, and that 
he wished he could do an equal service for the 
United States. 

“ This will be a fine story to tell Grandma 
Fulton,” he whispered to Sylvia, when he gave 
her his good-night kiss. 

She awoke early, before Estralla appeared 


AT FORT SUMTER 


191 


with the usual pitcher of hot water and to light 
the fire in the grate, and in a moment was out of 
bed and at her desk. She opened the envelope 
very carefully, expecting to see the pictured face 
of her kind friend smiling at her. But there 
was no picture. There were only two docu- 
ments tied with red tape, and with big red seals 
on them, and a number of printed and signed 
papers. 

“ Oh, dear! It isn’t anything at all except 
letters,” exclaimed Sylvia, nearly ready to cry 
with disappointment. And, suddenly, she did 
cry — a cry so like Estralla’s wail that the little 
darky just entering the room stopped short, and 
nearly dropped the pitcher of hot water. 

“ W’at’s de matter, Missy? W’at is de mat- 
ter? ” Estralla demanded. 

Tears were in Sylvia’s eyes as she turned 
toward the little darky. They were not tears for 
her own disappointment at not finding the ex- 
pected picture, but they were tears for what 
Sylvia believed to be the most bitter misfortune 
that could befall Estralla and Aunt Connie. 
For she was sure that the papers in that envel- 
ope were to tell her that Aunt Connie and Es- 
tralla had both been sold. But she resolved 


192 


A YANKEE GIRL 


quickly that Estralla should not know of this 
until she had told her mother. 

“ Nothing I can tell you now, Estralla,” she 
said, wiping away her tears. 

Estralla looked quite ready to weep with her 
young mistress, but she lit the fire, and crept 
silently out of the room. 

Sylvia dressed as quickly as possible, picked 
up the papers and ran to her mother’s room. 

“Look, Mother! It’s dreadful. It wasn’t a 
picture of Mr. Robert Waite at all. It’s just a 
lot of papers about Estralla and Aunt Connie 
being sold,” and Sylvia began to cry bitterly. 

Mr. Fulton took the papers and looked them 
over, while Sylvia with her mother’s arm about 
her sobbed out her disappointment. 

“ Sold! Estralla! Why, my dear Sylvia, 
these papers give Aunt Connie and Estralla their 
freedom, from yesterday. And these,” and Mr. 
Fulton held up the smaller documents, “ give 
them permission to leave Charleston for the north 
at any time within six months.” 

For a moment neither Sylvia nor her mother 
made any response to this wonderful statement. 

“Truly, Father? Truly?” exclaimed Sylvia 
with shining eyes. 

“ Yes. These papers have been recorded. 


AT FORT SUMTER 


193 


Estralla and her mother are no longer slaves. 
They are free,” said Mr. Fulton, as he folded the 
papers. “ Mr. Waite has made you the finest 
gift in the world, little daughter,” he added 
seriously. 

“ And Estralla and Aunt Connie may go to 
Boston with us? ” pleaded Sylvia, quite sure that 
her father and mother would agree. “ Won’t 
Grandma be surprised to see them? ” 

Mrs. Carleton was as pleased and surprised as 
Sylvia herself over Mr. Waite’s gift, and it was 
decided that directly after breakfast Sylvia 
should tell Aunt Connie and Estralla the wonder- 
ful news. It was too great to be kept a secret 
even until Christmas Day. 

“ Dar, Mammy! W’at I tells yo’? I tells yo’ 
Missy Sylvia gvvine to look out fer us,” Estralla 
declared triumphantly, evidently not at all sur- 
prised. 

“ But it is Mr. Robert Waite who has given 
you your freedom,” Sylvia reminded them, “ and 
my father says that you must both go with me 
and thank him.” 

“ Yas, Missy,” responded Aunt Connie, “ but 
I reckons we wouldn’t be thankin’ him if ’twan’t 
fer yo’. Massa Robert he knows dat all his 
niggers gwine to be free jes’ as soon as de 


194 A YANKEE GIRL 

Yankees come. Yas, indeedy, he knows. But we 
shuahly go long wid yo’, Missy, an’ thanks him. 
We knows our manners.” 

Many eyes turned to watch the smiling colored 
woman and the delighted little negro girl who 
walked down Kin£ Street that afternoon, one 
on each side of a little white girl who looked as 
well pleased as her companions, for Sylvia de- 
cided that no time should be lost in telling Mr. 
Robert Waite of how greatly his generosity was 
appreciated. 

He welcomed Sylvia with his usual cordiality, 
and told Aunt Connie that he wished her good 
fortune, and sent her and Estralla home. 

“ I will walk back with your young mistress,” 
he said, and Sylvia felt that it was the proudest 
day of her life when she walked up King Street 
beside the friendly southerner. 

“ He talks j.ust as if I were grown up,” 
thought Sylvia gratefully, when Mr. Waite 
spoke of the forts, and of the possibilities of war 
between the northern and southern states. 

“ Tell your father not to hasten his prepara- 
tions to leave Charleston ; you are among friends, 
and these difficulties may be adjusted,” Mr. 
Waite said as he bade Sylvia good-bye, and 
wished her a happy Christmas. 


CHAPTER XIX 


SYLVIA MAKES A PROMISE 

“ It doesn’t seem a bit like Christmas,” de- 
clared Sylvia, as she stood at the sitting-room 
window looking out at the falling rain. 

Christmas day of 1860 was a gloomy, rainy 
day in Charleston, and many people felt exactly 
as Sylvia did, that it was not like Christmas. 

Grace came over in the morning bringing a 
little chased gold ring for Sylvia, which the little 
girl promised always to wear. She wished that 
she could tell Grace about the lockets, but de- 
cided it would be better to surprise Grace with 
the locket itself. 

As soon as Grace returned home Sylvia ran 
to find her mother. 

“ We will go down street and buy the lockets 
to-morrow morning, won’t we, Mother?” she 
asked, and Mrs. Fulton promised that they would 
start early. 


195 


196 


A YANKEE GIRL 


Sylvia resolved that, if the lockets and pictures 
did not take all her money, she would buy a doll 
for Estralla. She knew that nothing else would 
please the little colored girl as much as a 
“ truly ” doll. 

But the morning of December twenty-sixth 
found the city of Charleston angry and excited. 
Crowds collected in the streets, and Mr. Fulton 
received a message from Mr. Robert Waite ask- 
ing him to remain at home until Mr. Waite ar- 
rived. 

“ What is the matter, Father? ” Sylvia asked. 
“ He isn’t coming to take back Estralla, is he? ” 

“ No, of course not, child. It is trouble over 
the forts,” responded her father. And in a short 
time Mr. Waite arrived. But he was not smil- 
ing this morning. He was very grave and 
serious. 

“ Major Anderson has evacuated Moultrie, 
and he and his men are at Fort Sumter,” said 
Mr. Waite. “ I came to assure you that what- 
ever action Charleston takes that I will protect 
your household and property as far as possible.” 

Then Sylvia heard him say that Governor 
Pickens had seized Castle Pinckney, and that 
troops had been sent to Sullivan’s Island to oc- 


AT FORT SUMTER 


197 


cupy Fort Moultrie, and the United States Ar- 
senal, situated in the midst of the city of Charles- 
ton, was also in possession of the secessionists. 

Sylvia listened to every word, but without 
much idea of what it all meant. 

“ Can’t we buy the lockets to-day, Mother? ” 
she asked. 

“ No, we must not go on the streets to-day,” 
Mrs. Fulton answered; but Mr. Waite smiled at 
the little girl and said: 

“ I will gladly accompany Miss Sylvia if she 
has errands to do,” so Sylvia told him about the 
pictures and lockets for Grace and Flora, and 
Mr. Waite assured her mother and father that 
he could easily spare the time to go with her 
upon so pleasant an errand. The friendly man 
realized that the little household were troubled 
and anxious, and that it would reassure them if 
their little girl could safely carry out her plan. 
So the two set forth together. 

Mr. Robert Waite was too well known for any 
southerner to doubt his loyalty to South Carolina, 
and his visit to Mr. Fulton’s house was in itself 
a protection to the family. As they walked along 
Sylvia told him how kind Grace and Flora had 
been to her. 


198 


A YANKEE GIRL 


“ If we should go away the lockets will remind 
them how much I think of them,” she said, 
and Mr. Waite smiled and said: “Yes, indeed,” 
but it seemed to Sylvia that he was not really 
thinking about the lockets. 

She held close to his hand, for there were 
crowds on every corner, and loud and violent 
threats against Major Anderson were heard from 
nearly every group. Sylvia heard one man de- 
clare that it was the duty of Charleston men to 
fire upon Fort Sumter at once; and before they 
reached the shop where she was to purchase the 
lockets Sylvia began to fear that she would never 
see Captain Carleton again. 

The lockets were purchased, and Mr. Waite 
took Sylvia to a studio to sit for the pictures for 
the lockets. There was enough money left to 
purchase a fine doll for Estralla, and Mr. Waite 
gave her a box filled with candy of many kinds, 
shapes and flavors. All these things occupied 
her thoughts so pleasantly that for a time she 
quite forgot the disturbance in the streets, and 
all the trouble that seemed so near to her and to 
her Charleston friends. 

“ I will call to-morrow,” said Mr. Waite, as 
he left the little girl at her own door. “ And tell 


AT FORT SUMTER 199 

your father that he had best not go on the streets 
unless he goes with my brother or myself.” 

This last message made Sylvia very sober. 
She came into the sitting-room holding her pack- 
ages, and found her mother and Mrs. Carleton 
busy with their sewing, while her father was at 
his desk writing. She repeated Mr. Waite’s mes- 
sage, and her father nodded silently. 

Then Sylvia told them that the lockets and 
pictures would be ready the following day. 
“And I have a doll for Estralla,” she con- 
cluded. 

“ Why not make the doll a fine dress and 
mantle? ” suggested Mrs. Carleton. “ Come up 
to my room and I will help you,” and Sylvia 
agreed smilingly. 

Mrs. Carleton had a roll of crimson silk in her 
work-bag and before supper time the new doll 
was dressed and ready for Estralla. 

“ This is for you, Estralla,” Sylvia said, when 
Estralla came up to her room, as she often did 
in the late afternoon. 

“ Fer me, Missy! He, he, I knows w’en you’s 
jokin’; but ’tis a fine lady doll,” responded the 
little girl, wishing with all her heart that the 
beautiful doll in the gorgeous silken dress which 


200 A YANKEE GIRL 

Sylvia was holding toward her might really be 
hers. 

“ Take it, Estralla! It is for you. Truly it 
is,” and Sylvia's tone was so serious that Estralla 
came slowly forward and took the doll. 

For a moment the two little girls stood looking 
at each other in silence, Sylvia smiling, but Es- 
tralla with a surprised, half-anxious expression. 

“ Don’t be afraid of it. Can’t you have a doll 
of your own? ” said Sylvia. 

“ Mebbe I can,” replied Estralla, and then 
two big tears ran down her black cheeks. 

“ I’se got so much now, Missy Sylvia, dat I 
dunno as ’tis safe fer me to hev a doll,” she 
whispered; but in a moment she was all smiles, 
and ran off to show her new treasure to her 
mother. 

The pictures and the lockets proved all that 
Sylvia had hoped, and on New Year’s day, when 
Grace came in for her daily visit, Sylvia gave 
her a small package. 

“ Please open it, Grade! ” she said, all eager- 
ness to see her friend’s delight. 

Mr. Fulton had purchased a slender chain for 
each locket, and as Grace held up the pretty gift 
she exclaimed delightedly: “Oh, Sylvia! It is 


AT FORT SUMTER 


201 


lovely, and I’ll always wear it,” and looked at 
the tiny picture of her friend with smiling satis- 
faction. 

Sylvia had written a letter to Flora, and Grace 
promised to see that the locket and letter should 
reach her safely. 

Every day Mr. Robert Waite or his brother es- 
corted Mr. Fulton upon any errand of business 
to which he was obliged to attend. News had 
reached Charleston that a steamer with supplies 
and reinforcements for Major Anderson was on 
its way, and Mr. Robert Waite declared that the 
Confederates would never permit it to reach the 
fort. 

Mrs. Carleton was very anxious. She had not 
received any message from her husband. 

“ If I could sail a boat I would go to Fort 
Sumter myself,” she said one morning as she and 
Sylvia stood at a window overlooking the harbor. 

“ I can sail a boat,” responded Sylvia. 

Mrs. Carleton turned and looked at the little 
girl. 

" If all this trouble ends in war, if the Con- 
federates really dare fire upon the flag of the 
United States, I do not know how I can get 
any word from my husband,” she said. 


202 


A YANKEE GIRL 


Sylvia thought that her friend’s voice sounded 
as if she were about to cry, and the little girl 
slipped her hand into Mrs. Carleton’s. She 
wished there was something she could say to com- 
fort her. Then she thought quickly that there 
was something. 

“ I’ll sail you over to the fort to see him when- 
ever you ask me to,” she said impulsively. 

“ Dear child, I may have to ask you, but I 
hope not. ’Twould be a dangerous undertak- 
ing,” she said, leaning over to kiss Sylvia’s cheek. 

That was the sixth of January, 1861 , and on 
the ninth a steamer, The Star of the West, with 
supplies and reinforcements for Major Ander- 
son, entered Charleston harbor and was fired 
upon by a Confederate battery concealed in the 
sand-hills at Sullivan Island. 

And now for many days the Fultons heard 
only discouraging news. Everywhere there was 
great activity among the Confederates. Mrs. 
Carleton became more and more anxious for news 
of Captain Carleton, but she did not remind 
Sylvia of her promise. 

Grace and Sylvia were together a great deal, 
and every morning Sylvia would run out to the 
front porch to wave a good-bye to Grace on her 


AT FORT SUMTER 


203 


way to school. Then there was Estralla’s lesson 
hour, her own studies, and Mrs. Carleton was 
teaching her to crochet a silk purse as a gift to 
Mr. Robert Waite, so that Sylvia did not think 
very much about the soldiers at Fort Sumter. 

“ What do you think about starting for Boston 
with us, Mrs. Carleton? ” Mr. Fulton said one 
night just as Sylvia was going up-stairs. “ I 
really think the time has come for me to take 
Sylvia and her mother to Boston, and I am sure 
Captain Carleton would want you to go with 
us.” 

“ And Estralla and Aunt Connie will go, too; 
won’t they, Father? ” said Sylvia, running back 
to her father’s side. 

“ Yes, child. But I thought you were up- 
stairs,” responded Mr. Fulton. “ Do not speak 
of our leaving Charleston to anyone. Remember. 
Not to Grace or Estralla, until your mother or 
I give you permission.” 

Sylvia promised. It seemed to her the best of 
good news that they would soon see Grandmother 
Fulton, and she went happily off to bed thinking 
of all she would have to tell her grandmother, 
and of the long letters she would write to Flora 
and Grace. “ And when summer comes they 


204 


A YANKEE GIRL 


must both come and make me a visit,” she 
thought, little knowing that when summer came 
no little southern girl would be allowed to visit 
a Boston girl. 


CHAPTER XX 


TWO LITTLE DARKY GIRLS ” 

“When will Mr. Lincoln be President?” 
Sylvia asked a few mornings after her father’s 
announcement of his intention to return to 
Boston. 

“ He was inaugurated yesterday,” replied her 
mother. 

“ Then can’t Captain Carleton go north with 
us?” asked Sylvia, who had convinced herself that 
when Mr. Lincoln was in charge of the Govern- 
ment that all the troubles over Charleston’s forts 
would end. 

But Mrs. Fulton shook her head. 

“ Captain Carleton must stay and perhaps 
fight to defend the flag,” she replied. “ I wish 
we could leave at once, but we must stay as long 
as we can.” 

Sylvia listened soberly. She wondered what 
her mother would say if she knew of her promise 
205 


206 A YANKEE GIRL 

to Mrs. Carleton to take a message to Fort 
Sumter if Mrs. Carleton should ask her to do so. 

The warm days of early March made the 
southern city full of fragrance and beauty. 
Many flowers were in bloom, the hedges were 
green, and the air soft and warm. Sylvia and 
Grace often spoke of Flora, and wished that they 
could again visit the plantation. 

Philip had brought Sylvia a letter from Flora, 
thanking her for the locket, and hoping that they 
would see each other again. Philip had not come 
into the house. He seemed much older to Sylvia 
than he did on her visit to the plantation in Oc- 
tober. He said that Ralph was in the Confeder- 
ate army. “ I’d be a soldier if I was only a little 
older,” he declared; and Sylvia did not even ask 
him about Dinkie, or the ponies. She wished that 
she could tell him that very soon she was going to 
Boston, but she knew that she must not; so she 
said good-bye, and Philip walked down the path, 
and waved his cap to her as he reached the gate. 

It had been many weeks since the Butterfly 
had sailed about Charleston harbor. But the 
little boat was in the charge of an old negro who 
took good care of it. The negro knew Sylvia, 
and he knew that it was through her interest in 


AT FORT SUMTER 


207 


Estralla that the little negro girl and her mother 
had been given their freedom. Now and then he 
appeared at Aunt Connie’s kitchen, and one 
warm day toward the last of March, when Sylvia 
was wandering about the garden, she saw Uncle 
Peter going up the walk to the rear of the house. 

“Oh, Uncle Peter! Wait!” she called and 
ran to ask him about the boat. 

Uncle Peter had a great deal of news to tell. 
He said that unless Major Anderson and his 
soldiers left Fort Sumter at once that all the 
forts, and the new batteries built by the Con- 
federates, would open fire upon Sumter and des- 
troy it. 

“ I hears a good deal, Missy, ’deed I does,” he 
declared, “ but I doan’ let on as I hears. Massa 
Linkurn he’s gwine to send a lot o’ big ships down 
here ’fore long. Yas, indeed.” 

“ I wish I could have a sail in the Butterfly 
again,” said Sylvia, a little wistfully. 

“ Do you, Missy? Well, I reckons you can. I 
doan’ believe anybody’d stop me a-givin’ yo’ a 
little sail ’roun’ de harbor,” said Uncle Peter. 
“ I ’spec’s Major Anderson is a-waitin’ an’ a- 
watchin’ fer dem ships of Massa Linkurn to come 
a-sailin’ in,” continued the old negro; for it was 


208 


A YANKEE GIRL 


a time when the colored people were eager and 
hopeful for some news that might promise them 
their freedom. 

Sylvia knew that Mrs. Carleton was worried 
and unhappy. It was known in Charleston that 
Fort Sumter was near the end of its food sup- 
plies, and that unless the Government at Wash- 
ington sent reinforcements and provisions very 
soon by ships that the little garrison would be at 
the mercy of the Confederates, who were daily 
growing in strength. 

As Sylvia left Uncle Peter and walked back 
to the house she was thinking of her promise to 
Mrs. Carleton. 

“ Perhaps she won’t ask me. But if I could 
go and see Captain Carleton, and tell him that 
she was going to Boston with us, and then bring 
her back a message, I know she’d be happier,” 
thought the little girl. And she thought, too, of 
the pleasure it would be to once more sail the 
Butterfly to Fort Sumter. 

She sat down on the porch steps, and a moment 
later Estralla appeared bringing a plate of 
freshly baked sugar cookies from Aunt Connie. 

“ Mammy says she made these ’special for you, 
Missy,” declared Estralla smilingly. 


AT FORT SUMTER 209 

“ I’ll go and thank her myself,” said Sylvia, 
taking the plate, and offering one of the cookies 
to Estralla. 

“ Uncle Pete he say as de soldiers at Fort 
Sumter mus’ be gettin’ hungry,” said the little 
colored girl. 

“ I wish you and I could take Captain Carle- 
ton some of these cookies,” responded Sylvia. 

“ If you was black like I is we could go a-sailin’ 
right off to de fort in plain daylight,” said Es- 
tralla. 

Sylvia sprang to her feet so quickly that she 
nearly upset the plate of cookies. 

“ Could we? Oh, Estralla, could we really? ” 
she exclaimed. 

Estralla looked at her little mistress with 
wondering eyes. 

“ Yas, course; nobody’d mind two leetle nigger 
gals. But you ain’t black, Missy.” 

“ But, Estralla, listen. I could be black. You 
could rub soot from the chimney all over my 
face and hands. And I could pin my hair close 
on top of my head and twist one of your mammy’s 
handkerchiefs tight over it. Then nobody would 
know me.” Sylvia had quite forgotten the fine 
cookies. She was holding Estralla by the arm, 


210 


A YANKEE GIRL 

and talking very rapidly. Estralla was almost 
frightened at Sylvia’s eagerness. 

“ Yas, Missy; but what for do you wanter 
go? ” she asked. 

“ Oh, Estralla! If the men are hungry we 
could carry them something to eat. But most of 
all I want to see Captain Carleton, and get some 
message for his wife. She is so unhappy to go 
away without a word.” 

“ Come ’long down in de garden,” said 
Estralla, now as interested as Sylvia herself, “ an’ 
tells me more whar’ nobody’ll be hearin’,” and 
the two little girls hurried off to a far corner of 
the pleasant garden. 

“ Unci’ Peter won’ let us take the boat,” 
Estralla objected as Sylvia told her how easy the 
plan would be; “ an’ how be you gwine to get all 
blacked up without folks knowin’ it? ” 

But Sylvia had an answer for every objection. 

“ I’ll come to your cabin and dress up there, 
and I will ask your mammy to give me some food 
for a poor man. Some cookies and a cake,” she 
said. “We will start early to-morrow morning. 
And, Estralla, we will have to tell Uncle Peter, 
or he won’t let us have the boat.” 

“ Lan’, Missy, I’ll do j.es’ w’at yo’ says. But 


AT FORT SUMTER 211 

I reckon Uncle Pete won’ let us. W’at yo’ 
mammy gwine to think w’en you ain’t home to 
your dinner? ” responded Estralla. But she was 
finally convinced that Missy Sylvia could carry 
out the plan, and agreed to have a large quantity 
of soot ready at her mother’s cabin the next 
morning. 

Sylvia was glad that she had eaten only one of 
the cookies. She carried the remainder to her 
room and then went to the kitchen. 

“Will you make me a fine big cake, Aunt 
Connie? ” she asked. 

“ Lan’, course I will, chile! But, w’at you 
wan’ it fer? ” answered Aunt Connie, smiling 
down at the little girl whom she loved so dearly. 

“ It’s a secret, Aunt Connie! I want to give it 
away, and I don’t want to tell even my mother 
until — well,” and Sylvia hesitated a moment, and 
then continued, “ until next week. Then I will 
tell her, and you too.” 

“ Dat’s right, Missy. I’ll make yo’ de finest 
cake I knows how. Le’s see! I’ll put citron, an’ 
raisins, an’ currants in it. An’ butter! Yas, 
thar’ll be a fine lot o’ things in dat cake ! ” and 
Aunt Connie rolled her eyes, and lifted her hands 
as if she could already taste its richness. 


212 


A YANKEE GIRL 


All that afternoon Sylvia could think of noth- 
ing but the proposed trip. She sat with Mrs. 
Carleton a little while before supper, and told 
her of what Uncle Peter had said: that ships 
from the north were on the way to the aid of 
Fort Sumter. 

“Oh! I do wish I could send the news to 
Sumter. It would give them all courage,” said 
Mrs. Carleton. 

Sylvia was for a moment tempted to tell her 
friend that she would carry the message, but 
she kept silent, thinking to herself that here 
was another reason for her to carry out her 
plan. 

“ If you could send a message to Captain Car- 
leton what would you say?” questioned Sylvia, 
and Mrs. Carleton smiled at Sylvia’s serious 
voice. 

“ Why, if I could only let him know that I was 
safe and well and going to Boston with you, in 
case Sumter really is attacked; I know that is 
what he wants to hear.” 

Mrs. Carleton’s smile vanished. Sylvia real- 
ized that this kind friend was troubled, and 
wished with all her heart that she could say: 
“ To-morrow I will tell you all about Captain 


AT FORT SUMTER 213 

Carleton.” But she knew that sIiq must keep si- 
lent until she had carried out her plan. 

Sylvia was the first one at the breakfast table 
the next morning, and was delighted when her 
mother said that she and Mrs. Carleton were in- 
vited to luncheon at the house of a friend. 

“ Aunt Connie and Estralla will take good care 
of you,” Mrs. Fulton added, and Sylvia felt her 
face flush. But she made no reply, and soon 
hurried to the cabin where Estralla was waiting 
for her. 

It was still early in the forenoon when two 
little negro girls, one carrying a large package 
wrapped in a newspaper, appeared at the wharf 
where the Butterfly was moored. Uncle Peter 
was not to be seen. But he had just left the boat, 
whose sail had not even been lowered, and the 
two girls hurried on board. In a moment Sylvia 
had unfastened the rope, pushed the boat clear 
of the landing, and rudder in hand was steering 
the boat out toward the channel. 

Two or three men in uniform watched the little 
“ darkies,” as they supposed both the girls to be, 
with amusement. Negro children were always 
playing about, and no attention was paid to them. 

“ My landy,” whispered Estralla, “ dat was 


214 A YANKEE GIRL 

jes’ as easy. W’at Uncle Pete do w’en he fin’s 
de boat gone? ” 

But it happened that Uncle Peter had been 
sent on an errand to a distant part of the town, 
and before he returned the Butterfly was well 
down the harbor. 

Once or twice a guard-boat passed them closely 
enough to make sure that there were only two 
colored children in the boat, and they came up 
under the walls of Fort Sumter without a hin- 
drance. The sentries at the fort had watched the 
little craft with anxious eyes, wondering if it 
could be bringing any message. But when the 
soldiers looked down at the two little negro girls 
they laughed, in spite of their disappointment. 
When Sylvia said that her name was Sylvia Ful- 
ton, and that she had come to see Captain Carle- 
ton, a sentry exclaimed: “ That girl has blacked 
her face. She is white.” 

But Captain Carleton could hardly believe that 
it was his little friend Sylvia. And he was eager 
to hear all that she could tell him. Estralla held 
the cake and cookies, which she had carefully 
wrapped in a newspaper, and the Captain seemed 
as much pleased with the paper as with the 
cake. 


215 


AT FORT SUMTER 

“ You can write a letter to Mrs. Carleton and 
we will take it,” suggested Sylvia, and then she 
told him Uncle Peter’s news: that the President 
was sending ships to the aid of the fort. 

“ That is great news,” said the Captain; “ if it 
is only true we may keep the fort for the Union.” 

Within the hour of their arrival Sylvia and 
Estralla were on their way home. The Captain 
had praised and thanked Sylvia for the loyal 
friendship that had prompted her visit. 

“ Mrs. Carleton and I will always remember 
your courage,” he said, as he handed her the 
letter. 

“ I am so glad I thought about it; but it was 
really Estralla. She said if I was black we could 
come,” Sylvia had replied. 

Then the boat swung clear and headed toward 
Charleston. 

“ I am not going to land at the big wharves,” 
said Sylvia. “ I am going to that wharf near 
Miss Patten’s garden. And then we’ll tell Uncle 
Peter where the Butterfly is.” 

It was early in the afternoon when Estralla 
appeared at the door of her mammy’s kitchen. 

“ Whar on airth you been? An’ whar’s yo’ 
missy?” demanded Aunt Connie. “ Didn’ I 


216 A YANKEE GIRL 

makes her a fine om’lit fer her dinner, an’ it’s 
ruinated.’’ 

“ Missy wants a big pitcher of hot water,” re- 
plied Estralla, dancing about just beyond Aunt 
Connie’s reach. 

“ Missy Sylvia say to tell you we been carryin’ 
de cake to her fr’en’, an’ she gwine to tell you, 
Mammy,” explained Estralla when her mammy 
had finally grasped her firmly by the shoulders. 

“ W’y dicin’ yo’ say dat firs’ place? H’ar’s de 
hot water,” and Estralla hurried off to help Syl- 
via scrub off the sticky soot which had so well dis- 
guised her; and when Mrs. Fulton and Mrs. 
Carleton returned they found a very rosy-faced 
smiling little girl on the porch all ready to tell 
them of her trip to Fort Sumter, and to give Mrs. 
Carleton the longed-for news from her husband. 


CHAPTER XXI 

FORT SUMTER IS FIRED UPON 

.When Sylvia’s father heard of her sailing the 
Butterfly to Fort Sumter he was greatly trou- 
bled. 

“If it should be discovered that my daughter 
had carried a message to Fort Sumter we would 
all be in danger; even the Waites would give us 
up,” he declared. “ What made you undertake 
such a thing, Sylvia? ” 

The little girl explained as well as she could 
her wish to get news of Captain Carleton for his 
wife, and said that she was sure no one knew that 
she was a white girl. But Mr. Fulton was anx- 
ious and uneasy, and Sylvia began to realize that 
her secret adventure might bring serious results 
to those she loved best. 

“ I told Captain Carleton what Uncle Peter 
said about ships coming to help Fort Sumter,” 
she said, feeling almost sure that her father would 
think this the worst of all, but determined to 
217 


218 


A YANKEE GIRL 


make a full confession. She resolved that never 
again would she make plans without telling her 
mother and father, for she was most unhappy at 
her father’s troubled look, and at his disapproval. 

“ What? ” exclaimed Mr. Fulton. “ Did you 
tell Captain Carleton that reinforcements were 
coming to the aid of Fort Sumter? ” 

“ Oh, yes, I did, Father,” sobbed Sylvia, who 
was now sure that she had told the very worst of 
her acts. 

But to her surprise she heard her father say: 
“ Thank heaven! That may influence Anderson 
to hold the fort until help arrives,” and his arm 
was about his little daughter, and she looked up 
through her tears to hear him say: 

“ The news you carried to the fort is just what 
they wanted to know. And it may help to save 
the Union. It is worth while for us all to face 
personal danger if it proves that you were of 
service.” 

Sylvia did not quite understand why Uncle 
Peter’s news should be so important, but her 
father explained to her that Major Anderson 
would now feel sure of help, and that his men 
would have courage to bear hardship and hunger 
if need be until the ships arrived. 



1 ‘it may help to save the union” 














■- ‘ 




AT FORT SUMTER 219 

“And you forgive me for going? ” Sylvia 
pleaded. 

“ My dear child! I am glad and proud that 
you could carry such a message to brave sol- 
diers,” her father replied, “ but do not mention it 
to anyone. I must hasten my arrangements to 
leave Charleston. General Beauregard may fire 
upon F ort Sumter at any day, and I am of no use 
here.” 

Sylvia drew a long breath of relief. That her 
father should really praise her for what she had 
feared might prove a very serious mistake made 
the little girl happy although it did not change 
her resolve never again to make adventurous 
plans without the approval of her mother or 
father. She realized that, although she had car- 
ried a valuable message, she had also endangered 
her father’s safety if her visit to the fort was dis- 
covered, as every southerner would believe that 
Mr. Fulton had made the plan to be of aid to the 
United States. 

The little household now began its prepara- 
tions to start north as soon as possible, and Syl- 
via was eager for the time to come that would 
see them safely on their way to their northern 
home. Grace Waite and her mother had gone 


220 


A YANKEE GIRL 


into the country, and Sylvia did not know if she 
would see her friend again. 

The morning of April 11, 1861, dawned 
brightly over the harbor of Charleston, whose 
waters were covered with white sails putting has- 
tily to sea. Guard-boats were plying constantly 
between the harbor and the islands. It was ru- 
mored about the town that before sunset the Con- 
federate batteries would open fire upon Fort 
Sumter. 

Mr. Fulton’s preparations to leave Charleston 
were completed, and if nothing prevented they 
would start for Boston on April 14th. On the 
eleventh, however, Mrs. Carleton hardly left the 
window from which she could look out over the 
harbor toward Fort Sumter. At any moment it 
might be attacked, and she knew that such an 
attack meant the beginning of a terrible civil 
war. 

Sylvia wandered about the house and garden 
with Estralla, telling the little colored girl of the 
home in Boston which she soon hoped to see. 

The hours passed, and the streets of Charles- 
ton grew strangely quiet. At sunset everything 
was calm, and no sound of guns disturbed the 
peace of the April evening, and Sylvia went to 


AT FORT SUMTER 


221 


bed at the usual hour, not thinking that she would 
be wakened by the roar of cannon. The older 
members of the family sat up until after mid- 
night. The sea was calm, and the night still un- 
der the bright starlight. At last they decided to 
retire, but there was little sleep for them that 
night. 

At half-past four the next morning the sound 
of guns from Fort Johnson broke upon the still- 
ness. It was the signal to the Confederate bat- 
teries to open fire. 

Hardly had the echo of the opening gun died 
upon the air when every Confederate fort and 
battery opened fire upon Sumter, until the fort 
was “ surrounded by a circle of fire.” 

The Fulton household dressed hurriedly and 
from the windows looked over the harbor at 
the flashing lights and bursts of flame. Sylvia 
stood close beside Mrs. Carleton, and they were 
all silent. 

Aunt Connie brought up hot coffee and a tray 
of food, but none of them cared to eat. Mr. Ful- 
ton waited anxiously for the sound of answering 
guns from Fort Sumter. But not until seven 
o’clock that morning did Fort Sumter open its 
fire. 


222 


A YANKEE GIRL 


“War has begun,” said Mr. Fulton gravely, 
turning away from the window. 

“ Will the President’s ships come soon, 
Father? ” asked Sylvia. 

“ We must hope so,” he answered; “ and now 
there is no time for us to lose. We must start at 
once.” 

“ Bres’ de Lord! ” said Aunt Connie, who was 
standing near the door, and as Mr. Fulton spoke 
she hurried off to her cabin to make her final 
preparations for the long journey. 

Mrs. Fulton hastened to pack up the few 
things they would take with them, and Sylvia 
helped Mrs. Carleton pack. Early in the fore- 
noon they were ready. Mr. Robert Waite’s car- 
riage was at the door, with Mr. Waite, who had 
come to escort them on the first stage of their 
journey. 

“ I wish I could say good-bye to Grace,” said 
Sylvia as she went down the steps of the porch. 
She was all ready to enter the carriage when she 
heard her name called: “ Sylvia! Sylvia!” and 
Grace came flying up the path. 

“ Grace! Grace!” responded Sylvia, and for 
a moment the two little girls, “ Yankee ” and 
southern girl, clung closely together, while the 


AT FORT SUMTER 223 

noise of the echoing guns from the forts boomed 
over the harbor. 

“We will always be friends, won’t we, Syl- 
via?” said Grace; and Sylvia responded “Al- 
ways.” Then with one more good-bye kiss 
Grace turned and ran back to Mammy Esther. 
She had persuaded her mother to bring her to 
Charleston that she might bid Sylvia good-bye, 
and now they would hasten back to the country, 
for Charleston might be attacked by United 
States ships of war, and was no longer a place of 
safety. 

The Fultons now entered the carriage. Aunt 
Connie and Estralla were the only members of 
the party who were smiling and happy. To Es- 
tralla it was the most wonderful day of her life. 
She was free. And with her mammy and her 
Missy Sylvia she was starting for a world where 
little colored girls could go to school, just as 
white children did, and never be bought or sold. 
She looked at Sylvia with adoring eyes. 

“ What are you thinking of, Estralla? ” asked 
Sylvia. 

Estralla leaned close to her “ true fr’en’ ” and 
whispered: “I was a-t’inkin’ ’bout my breakin’ 
of de pitcher, an’ a-spillin’ de hot water, Missy 


224 


A YANKEE GIRL 


Sylvia. You took my part den. Missy, an’ you’se 
allers taken my part. My mammy say she bress 
de Lord dat you came to Charleston.” 

Sylvia smiled back at the little colored girl. 
For a moment she forgot the booming of the dis- 
tant guns, and remembered only her friends and 
the happy days she had spent in her southern 
home. 


The next Volume in this Series will be : 
A YANKEE GIRL AT BULL RUN 


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